Civil society groups, lawyers and opposition politicians have rejected the claim by the Director General of the APC Presidential Campaign Council, Senator Abdul’Aziz Yari, that the ruling party will remain in power beyond 2031.
The groups said political power belongs to Nigerians and can only be determined through free, fair and credible elections.
Executive Director of the Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre, CISLAC, Auwal Rafsanjani, described Yari’s statement as partisan optimism, warning that no political party should present future electoral victories as predetermined.
Rafsanjani said the recent Osun State governorship election was a “reality check” for political parties, demonstrating that Nigerian voters could not be taken for granted.
He urged the APC and other parties to focus on addressing insecurity, unemployment, poverty, inflation and the rising cost of living rather than making declarations about prolonged political dominance.
Human rights lawyer, Idris Faro, also criticised Yari’s claim, saying electoral victories are determined by voters based on a party’s performance, programmes and policies.
The Country Director of ActionAid Nigeria, Dr Andrew Mamedu, similarly urged Nigerians not to be discouraged from participating in elections, warning that statements suggesting predetermined victories could fuel voter apathy.
Mamedu stressed that the outcome of the 2027 and subsequent elections remained in the hands of Nigerian voters.
The National Chairman of the BOOT Party, Sonny Adenuga, also warned the APC against mistaking its current incumbency advantage for permanent ownership of political power, noting that history had shown that seemingly dominant parties could lose elections.
The stakeholders maintained that only the ballot, rather than political declarations, should determine who governs Nigeria beyond 2027 and 2031.