People Tinubu Helped Before Abandoned Him in 2023 — Yilwatda

The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Professor Nentawe Yilwatda, has claimed that several politicians whom President Bola Ahmed Tinubu supported over the years withdrew their backing when he declared his intention to contest the 2023 presidential election.

Yilwatda made the remarks on Friday, October 9, 2026, at the APC national secretariat in Abuja while welcoming defectors from opposition parties in Sokoto, Kaduna, Jigawa, Kano and Plateau states.

According to the APC chairman, Tinubu had repeatedly supported politicians from different parts of Nigeria in the interest of national unity, but many failed to reciprocate when he sought the presidency.

“People that he has supported all through from the North and South, when he said he wanted to contest, most of them pulled out their support,” Yilwatda said.

Tinubu Supported Atiku, Ribadu and Buhari

Yilwatda traced Tinubu’s political alliances with northern politicians to the 2007 presidential election, when he supported former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar’s presidential ambition.

He also cited the 2011 election, when Nuhu Ribadu contested for president under the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), saying Tinubu supported Ribadu and mobilised his political network behind him.

The APC chairman further highlighted Tinubu’s role in the political coalition that brought Muhammadu Buhari to power in 2015.

According to Yilwatda, Tinubu remained committed to Buhari’s political project in 2019, even when some northern political leaders reportedly withdrew their support.

He argued that these actions demonstrated Tinubu’s commitment to political cooperation and the principle of power rotation between Nigeria’s North and South.

APC Chairman Defends Tinubu’s Record in the North

Yilwatda also defended the Tinubu administration against criticism that it had neglected northern Nigeria.

He pointed to road and rail projects, including the Abuja–Kaduna–Kano road and rail developments, as examples of infrastructure investment in the region.

He questioned why critics continued to argue that the President had done little for the North despite these projects.

The APC chairman urged the new defectors to support Tinubu and his administration’s Renewed Hope Agenda, describing their decision to join the ruling party as a commitment to the President’s political programme.

2027 Election in Focus

Yilwatda’s comments come as political parties position themselves ahead of Nigeria’s 2027 general elections, with Tinubu seeking a second presidential term.

The APC is seeking to consolidate its support across the country, including in northern states where opposition parties are also working to attract voters.

While Yilwatda presented Tinubu’s history of political alliances as evidence of his commitment to national unity, the claim that politicians abandoned the President remains his assessment of events rather than an independently established conclusion about every politician involved.

The broader debate over Tinubu’s political relationships is likely to continue as Nigerians assess the administration’s economic policies, infrastructure projects, security record and impact on living standards ahead of the next election.