The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Professor Nentawe Yilwatda, has warned that any attempt to restore fuel subsidy could worsen poverty in Northern Nigeria and halt ongoing infrastructure and development projects in the region.
Yilwatda spoke on Monday at the APC National Secretariat in Abuja while receiving candidates of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) for various State Houses of Assembly in the North who withdrew from the race and defected to the APC.
The delegation was led by Princess Aslam Aliyu, also known as Gimbiyar Kauran Namoda, while an ADC candidate from Zamfara State, Hon. Mohammed Hassan, addressed the gathering on behalf of the defectors.
Hassan said the defectors were joining the APC to contribute to what he described as a broader effort to support President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
Responding to the opposition’s reported promise to restore fuel subsidy, Yilwatda questioned how such a policy would be funded without affecting ongoing government projects.
“The Hausa radio stations tell us that they will return subsidy. I keep on asking, how are they going to return the subsidy?” he said, arguing that subsidy restoration could affect road construction and other development projects.
The APC chairman also highlighted ongoing gas and fertiliser projects in the North, saying the development of gas infrastructure would support farmers through increased access to fertiliser, while compressed natural gas would help reduce transportation costs.
He also defended the student loan scheme, noting that many beneficiaries were from Northern Nigeria.
Yilwatda further argued that the region had experienced severe financial difficulties before the current administration, claiming that all Northern states were among those unable to pay salaries as of 2023.
He also rejected claims that the Tinubu administration had neglected Northern Nigeria, citing ongoing road projects across the region.
According to him, the Abuja-Kano road, covering about 400 kilometres, was nearly completed, while the Kano-Maiduguri road, covering about 500 kilometres, was approaching 50 per cent completion.
He listed other ongoing projects, including the Jos-Akwanga road, Kwara-Mokwa road in Niger State, Sokoto-Kebbi road, Kano-Daura road and roads linking Zaria with Illela in Sokoto State.
On the defectors, Yilwatda said the APC received them at its national secretariat in recognition of the sacrifices they had made by leaving the ADC.
He said their resignation from the ADC at ward level was the first step, adding that they were expected to return to their respective wards to register as APC members.
Yilwatda also defended the inclusiveness of the Tinubu administration, citing examples from Lagos State under Tinubu’s leadership.
He contrasted this with the records of former Anambra State Governor Peter Obi and former Kano State Governor Rabiu Kwankwaso, challenging the opposition figures to identify people from outside their respective states who served as commissioners in their cabinets.
He urged the new APC members to return to their respective communities and strengthen the party’s structures ahead of future elections.
“All elections are won at the polling units,” Yilwatda said, urging the defectors to focus on mobilising support at the grassroots.
