The Speaker of the Plateau State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Naanlong Daniel Gapyil, has declared that the state is fully behind President Bola Ahmed Tinubu ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Gapyil made the announcement on Tuesday during a visit to the national headquarters of the All Progressives Congress, APC in Abuja. He led other members of the Assembly to meet with the newly appointed APC National Chairman, Prof. Nentawe Goshwe Yilwatda.
Gapyil who was speaking with journalists shortly after the meeting said the lawmakers came to show solidarity with the party’s new leadership and to express their support for President Tinubu’s second-term bid.
He said, “We are here to tell the world that Plateau State is 100 percent for Mr. President. We have already taken a position. In fact, there is no vacancy for any presidential candidate in Plateau come 2027.”
Gapyil added that any other political party planning to campaign in the state would be wasting time and resources, stressing that APC remains the dominant force on the Plateau.
“From the House of Assembly to the National Assembly, APC is in control. We are standing firm with the President and our party. Plateau is ready, and we will deliver,” he said.
He also spoke about the working relationship between the APC-led legislature and the PDP-led executive in the state. According to him, both arms may belong to different parties, but their goal remains the same — the progress of Plateau.
“We are working with the executive to move the state forward. Where there are issues, we resolve them maturely. Our concern is the wellbeing of our people,” he added.
In his response, the new APC National Chairman, Prof. Yilwatda, thanked the lawmakers for their visit and urged them to mobilize full support for President Tinubu’s re-election.
“Mr. Speaker, I want to see you in campaigns. I want to see you standing behind me and demonstrating the capacity of Plateau State, teaching them how it’s being done,” Yilwatda said.
He described Plateau as the heart of Nigeria’s ethnic nationalities in the North, stressing that its role in national politics could not be overlooked.
“That’s what you can help me do stand to be counted in all the activities. Plateau State is the centre of all the ethnic nationalities and minorities in the North,” he added.
Yilwatda also pledged to strengthen internal reforms within the APC, noting that his leadership would focus on transparency, inclusiveness, and party unity. He said his goal was to build a stronger and more open political platform that would win the trust of Nigerians.
“What we don’t have yet is the governorship seat, but I believe with your strength, unity, and support, we will get it back. Plateau is APC, and APC is Plateau,” he said.
