2027 Politics: Nearly Half of APC Members Now Youths, Says National Chairman

Nentawe Yilwatda says party’s e-registration data shows surge in members aged 18–35

Fresh data from the All Progressives Congress (APC) suggests a significant rise in youth membership, with nearly half of those joining the ruling party now aged between 18 and 35.

APC National Chairman, Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda, disclosed this during an appearance on Channels Television’s Politics Today, where he said internal sampling from the party’s ongoing electronic registration revealed a dramatic demographic shift.

“We discovered that we have more young people coming to the APC than the elderly,” he said.

Youth surge through e-registration

Yilwatda explained that the party’s e-registration exercise and opinion sampling showed that about 49 per cent of individuals expressing interest in the APC fall within the 18–35 age bracket.

“They form about 49% of people who are interested in the APC platform, roughly about 50%, which means about half of our members are between the ages of 18 and 35 years,” he said.

According to him, this marks a sharp increase from previous figures, when youth representation in the party stood between 21 and 23 per cent.

Focus beyond political defections

The APC chairman stressed that the trend is not driven by high-profile political defections but by everyday Nigerians choosing to join the party.

“When we discuss people coming back to the APC, we don’t discuss the governors. We are rather discussing ordinary Nigerians who move to the APC every day,” he noted.

Yilwatda added that the growing youth interest raises an important question about what is attracting young Nigerians to the ruling party ahead of the 2027 general elections.

A changing political base

The APC’s claim points to a possible shift in its support base, traditionally perceived as dominated by older political actors. If sustained, the trend could reshape campaign strategies and internal party dynamics as the country approaches another election cycle.