“Defend this democracy”: APC’s National Chairman rallies youths, warns against power-hungry politicians

The new face of Nigeria’s ruling party has a message for young Nigerians: democracy won’t defend itself.

APC National Chairman Professor Nentawe Yilwatda is calling on youths aged 25 to 55 to take charge of Nigeria’s democratic future, framing them as the “critical force” for stability in a season of tough reforms and louder politics.

“Nigeria’s democracy is at a defining moment,” Yilwatda said in a statement signed by his media adviser Abimbola Tooki. “The responsibility to defend and consolidate it rests heavily on our youths, who possess the energy, innovation, and patriotic zeal required to move the nation forward.”

His warning was pointed. He accused unnamed political actors of pushing “narrow personal ambitions” and peddling misinformation about President Bola Tinubu’s reform agenda. Handing Nigeria’s future to people chasing the presidency “at all cost,” he said, would drag the country back to “uncertainty and stagnation.”

Advertisement

Yilwatda isn’t just talking youth — he is youth leadership. His emergence marks the first time APC has put a young figure at the helm since its founding. And he’s leaning into it: over 50% of APC members are now young men and women, making it a “truly youth-driven political movement,” the statement said.

“By elevating a young leader to its highest administrative office, the APC has not only broken new ground but has also sent a powerful signal about its confidence in the capacity, vision, and dynamism of Nigeria’s younger generation,” Tooki noted.

The chairman admitted Tinubu’s reforms have forced “difficult adjustments” but insisted they’re laying the foundation for long-term prosperity. Early signs, he argued, show Nigeria regaining fiscal stability and global competitiveness. The World Bank and other global stakeholders have commended the shifts, and investor interest is picking up in energy, tech, infrastructure, and manufacturing.

Consensus arrangement must be among aspirants – Yobe APC governorship aspirant

“Investor confidence is gradually being restored. From renewed commitments in the oil and gas sector to growing interest in Nigeria’s digital economy and infrastructure space, the signs are clear that the country is on a path to recovery and growth,” Yilwatda said.

For him, youth are the firewall. Their tech savvy, adaptability, and forward-looking mindset make them the best bet for deepening democracy, boosting civic participation, and keeping leaders honest.

“A politically conscious and engaged youth population remains the strongest guarantee against democratic backsliding,” he said.

The message from APC’s youngest chairman is simple: reforms are bitter but necessary, the future is young, and the fight for democracy starts with those who’ll live in it the longest.