2027 Election: List of Opposition Figures APC National Chairman Visited in 2026
- APC National Chairman Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda paid a courtesy visit to Senator Kabiru Gaya, a founding member of the APC who later joined the NDC
- The visit came amid growing speculation about Gaya's possible return to the ruling party ahead of the 2027 general elections
- Yilwatda's visit to Gaya was his latest meeting with opposition leaders, and he said their discussions centred on the unity of Kano State and the responsibility of leaders to promote dialogue
All Progressives Congress (APC) National Chairman, Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda, has visited Senator Kabiru Gaya at a time when speculation is mounting over whether the veteran politician could return to the party he helped found.
Gaya, one of the original architects of the APC, later parted ways with the party and joined the New Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC). His departure was seen as a significant loss given his long-standing influence in Kano state politics.
Source: Twitter
Yilwatda confirmed the visit in a statement, describing the atmosphere of the meeting as warm and saying the two men found common ground on the importance of Kano's political stability.
"We agreed that leaders have a responsibility to promote dialogue and peaceful coexistence," he said.
No formal announcement of a defection was made following the meeting.
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Yilwatda's outreach pattern ahead of 2027
The visit to Gaya fits into a broader pattern of targeted political outreach the APC chairman has pursued across northern Nigeria in recent months.
In April 2026, Yilwatda travelled to Kano alongside Senator Bello Hayatu Gwarzo to visit former Governor Ibrahim Shekarau at his Mundubawa residence. Shekarau, a Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) figure, was encouraged to lend his support to the APC as part of what the chairman described as an effort to build northern unity ahead of the 2027 general elections.
On July 13, 2026, Yilwatda visited Gombe, where he called on Senator Usman Bayero Nafada, a senior PDP stalwart. He was accompanied by Gombe State Governor Inuwa Yahaya and other party officials. That meeting similarly focused on themes of unity, peace, and cross-party cooperation in the interest of state development.
The series of visits signals that the APC is actively working to consolidate its political base in the north by drawing experienced opposition figures closer to the ruling party before the next election cycle. The move by the ruling party is strategic for the re-election of President Bola Tinubu in the 2027 general elections.
Source: Legit.ng
