Opposition criticise APC over Yilwatda appointment over INEC ties

The emergence of the former Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, Prof Nentawe Yilwatda, as the new national chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) is causing unsettling ripples, as some Nigerians, particularly members of the opposition have opposed his appointment on the ground of his tie with INEC.

Yilwatda’s previous role as a Resident Electoral Commissioner with the Independent National Electoral Commission is seen by the opposition as a dangerous strategy by President Bola Tinubu to compromise the commission’s independence ahead of the 2027 general election.

The new APC national chairman emerged from the National Executive Committee meeting of the party held on Thursday, July 24, 2025, at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

Yilwatda, who resigned as INEC REC for Benue State in 2022, replaced the erstwhile national chairman, Dr Abdullahi Ganduje, who resigned his appointment on June 27, 2025, due to health issues.

The new national chairman, who was a former engineering don at the Federal University of Agriculture, Makurdi, was appointed REC in July 2017 and posted to Benue State. During his four-year stay in office, he participated in the conduct of elections in Benue, Anambra, Osun, Rivers and Cross River states.

He contested the 2023 Plateau State governorship election on the platform of the APC, initially secured victories at the election petitions tribunal and the Court of Appeal, but ultimately lost to the incumbent Governor, Caleb Mutfwang, at the Supreme Court.

A member of the National Executive Committee of the Peoples Democratic Party, Diran Odeyemi, noted that the new APC chairman’s appointment had clearly highlighted strongbdoubt about INEC’s neutrality in the elections to be held under his chairmanship.

He stated , “This appointment has again exposed who Prof Yilwatda is. He has APC DNA, which raises serious concerns about his neutrality in his previous assignments, through which he got the new appointment as APC national chairman. This again raises the question of how truly independent INEC is.

“Let’s hope his contemporaries are not in charge of our elections in Nigeria, or can we rightly conclude that election results have been pronounced with the announcement of his name as their new chairman?”

Taking a slightly different position, the National Publicity Secretary of the Young Progressives Party, Wale Egbeola-Martins, noted that, though the former minister’s appointment raised some fundamental questions, emphasis should be on reforming the nation’s electoral laws.

He said, “While the concerns raised are understandable, the Young Progressives Party believes that the broader and more pressing issue lies in the urgent need to reform Nigeria’s electoral laws.

“The credibility of our democratic process cannot hinge solely on individuals or their past affiliations but must be built on strong, transparent, and enforceable electoral frameworks.

“Once our electoral laws are thoroughly reformed and institutionalised, fears of undue influence, whether real or perceived, will be significantly minimised.

“Strengthening legal safeguards around the electoral process is the surest way to inspire public confidence and ensure that elections truly reflect the will of the people, regardless of who occupies party leadership positions. For us, the focus should be on systemic integrity, not personalities.”