The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda, has said more than 10 million vulnerable Nigerians have received ₦75,000 each under the Federal Government’s conditional cash transfer programme, insisting that many beneficiaries are absent from social media because they cannot afford mobile phones and other communication devices.
Yilwatda made the claim on Saturday while responding to questions from journalists shortly after the APC’s three-day National Executive Council (NEC) retreat in Maiduguri, Borno State.
According to him, the Bola Tinubu administration has introduced several programmes aimed at reducing poverty and cushioning the effects of the removal of fuel subsidy, including cash transfers, road construction, employment opportunities linked to infrastructure projects and student loans.
“We have given 75,000 naira to over 10 million Nigerians across the country using the conditional cash transfer under the ministry of humanitarian affairs and poverty reduction,” Yilwatda said.
He argued that the experiences of many beneficiaries were not reflected in public discussions because a significant number of poor Nigerians targeted by the government’s interventions lacked access to smartphones, television and social media platforms.
The APC chairman therefore said the absence of beneficiaries from online conversations should not be interpreted as evidence that government interventions had failed to reach vulnerable Nigerians.
Yilwatda also pointed to ongoing road construction projects across the country, saying the Federal Government was creating employment through such projects and paying workers engaged in the construction activities.
His comments, however, come against the backdrop of continuing scrutiny of the Federal Government’s cash-transfer programme and questions over the number of households reached and the amount actually disbursed.
In August, the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, Bernard Doro, said the Federal Government had disbursed more than ₦600 billion in cash transfers to vulnerable Nigerians over three years, reaching slightly more than 10 million households.
The government subsequently launched the $1 billion Renewed Hope Social Protection Programme, including the Household Prosperity and Empowerment Social Protection Project (HOPE-SP), which targets about 7.6 million vulnerable households. Under the new programme, eligible households are expected to receive a one-off digital shock-response transfer of ₦40,000.
The cash-transfer figures have also generated questions from former Vice-President and African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar.
Atiku questioned the difference between figures previously announced by the Presidency and the later figures released by the humanitarian affairs ministry. He pointed out that the Presidency had earlier said expanded cash transfers had reached 15 million vulnerable households, while Doro subsequently put the figure at slightly more than 10 million households.
Atiku also questioned how the reported ₦600 billion disbursement corresponded with the number of households said to have received the intervention, calling for greater transparency and accountability in the programme.
Speaking further after the APC NEC retreat, Yilwatda said the party had reviewed its activities and structures at the national, state, local government, ward and polling-unit levels as part of preparations for the 2027 general elections.
He said the review was designed to assess the party’s level of preparedness and identify areas requiring additional attention ahead of the elections.
According to him, the NEC also passed a vote of confidence in President Tinubu, Vice-President Kashim Shettima and other APC candidates who emerged from the party’s primaries for the 2027 elections.
Yilwatda disclosed that the APC had also resolved to strengthen reconciliation efforts across its state chapters, directing chapters that had yet to establish reconciliation committees to do so.
He said the reconciliation initiative was aimed at addressing internal disagreements within the party and consolidating its structures ahead of the 2027 elections.
The APC national chairman further said the party leadership would take a more active role in communicating the Tinubu administration’s programmes and achievements to Nigerians as electioneering activities intensify.
He added that the NEC commended Nigerians for their support and appealed for continued backing for Tinubu’s bid for another term in office in 2027.
The party also expressed condolences to the government and people of Niger State over the deaths of 37 miners.