Professor Nentawe Yilwatda emerges new APC National Chairman
The All Progressives Congress (APC) has named Professor Nentawe Yilwatda as its new National Chairman, following the endorsement of his nomination by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and APC governors during a late-night meeting in Abuja.
Mr. Yilwatda, currently serving as Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and a former university lecturer, was chosen to replace Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, who recently resigned as chairman citing health challenges. His appointment is expected to be ratified later today at the party’s National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting.
Mr. Yilwatda, 56, hails from Plateau State and was the APC’s gubernatorial candidate in the state during the 2023 general elections. His emergence aligns with the party’s zoning arrangement that reserves the national chairmanship for the North-Central geopolitical zone, which includes Benue, Kwara, Kogi, Nasarawa, Niger, and Plateau states.
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According PREMIUM TIMES Multiple party insiders said that Mr. Yilwatda’s Christian background also influenced the decision, as party leaders believed it would balance the religious equation with both the President and Vice President being Muslims.
“He is young, suave, well-educated, and doesn’t carry the usual political baggage,” a senior party official said.
“We believe he can give the party a new face and restore credibility ahead of future elections.”
Professor Yilwatda brings with him a rich blend of academic, bureaucratic, and political experience. Before venturing into politics, he served as an engineering lecturer at the Federal University of Agriculture, Makurdi. He was later appointed as a Resident Electoral Commissioner for the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), where he oversaw elections in Benue, Anambra, Osun, Rivers, and Cross River states between 2017 and 2021.
READ ALSO: APC appoints Dalori as acting national chairman after Ganduje resigns
After resigning from INEC in December 2021, Yilwatda returned to Plateau State, joined the APC, and became its gubernatorial candidate. Though he lost the election to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, President Tinubu subsequently appointed him as Minister of Humanitarian Affairs.
His selection as APC chairman is seen as a strategic move to reposition the party amid internal tensions and dwindling popularity in some regions. Party leaders are optimistic that his leadership will inject fresh energy, bridge internal divides, and consolidate the APC’s hold on power ahead of future elections.
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