The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda, has expressed confidence that President Bola Tinubu’s ongoing infrastructure projects will boost the party’s chances in the 2027 general elections.
Yilwatda described the projects as a major campaign advantage, arguing that Nigerians would judge the administration by its achievements in delivering critical infrastructure.
He made the remarks on Saturday while inspecting the ongoing construction of the Akwanga-Jos-Gombe section of the Trans-Sahara Superhighway.
Speaking with journalists during the visit, the APC chairman said the scale and expected lifespan of the road project demonstrated the Federal Government’s commitment to long-term infrastructure development.
“We are targeting a lifespan of over 100 years before there will be a need to consider maintaining or repairing it again. That is how you build a lasting legacy,” he said.
Yilwatda described the superhighway as evidence of the administration’s Renewed Hope agenda, expressing optimism that the project would strengthen public support for Tinubu.
“It is living proof of what the Renewed Hope agenda stands for, and it is precisely why Nigerians will continue to stand firmly behind President Tinubu,” he stated.
He added that the project represented one of the administration’s major infrastructure investments, with hundreds of billions of naira committed to its execution.
According to him, the Akwanga-Jos corridor will feature intelligent surveillance cameras, street lighting, police outposts and emergency trauma clinics to improve security and provide essential services to road users and surrounding communities.
He said the initiative was designed to achieve more than improved transportation, noting that it would connect communities, businesses and markets while enhancing security.
Yilwatda also recalled that the road had suffered years of neglect, with previous interventions largely limited to temporary repairs.
He said, “For over five decades, since the days of the late Joseph Gomwalk around 1972, this corridor witnessed only piecemeal patching.”
The APC chairman maintained that the current administration had committed substantial resources to transforming the route into a durable infrastructure asset.
Earlier, the project’s Equipment Coordinator and Public Relations Officer, James Baba, told the delegation that construction equipment had been deployed to the Jos axis following instructions from the Federal Ministry of Works.
Baba said the contractor was targeting the completion of at least 10 kilometres of road formation before Christmas, while an additional 30 kilometres was expected to be delivered in 2027.
He disclosed that trial work on the rigid concrete pavement had commenced, with about 400 metres already completed.
“Our target this year is to cover about 10 kilometres of earthwork before Christmas,” he said.
Baba explained that the use of cement concrete instead of asphalt followed the Federal Ministry of Works’ specifications and was intended to improve the road’s durability.
