APC names Prof Nentawe Yilwatda as new national chairman

The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has announced Professor Nentawe Yilwatda as its new National Chairman, following the resignation of Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, who stepped aside citing health concerns.

Yilwatda, who currently serves as Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, was unanimously chosen as the party’s consensus candidate during a late-night strategy meeting in Abuja between President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and governors elected on the APC platform. His appointment is expected to be confirmed by the party’s National Executive Committee (NEC) during its meeting later today.

A 56-year-old native of Plateau State, Yilwatda was the APC governorship candidate in the 2023 general elections and is widely regarded for his academic and administrative track record. His selection reflects the party’s zoning arrangement, which allocates the national chairmanship to the North-Central region comprising Plateau, Benue, Nasarawa, Kogi, Kwara, and Niger states.

Party insiders disclosed that Yilwatda’s Christian faith was a significant factor in the decision, aimed at ensuring religious balance within the APC hierarchy, given that both President Tinubu and Vice President Kashim Shettima are Muslims.

Before joining politics, Yilwatda was a lecturer in engineering at the Federal University of Agriculture, Makurdi. He later served as a Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) at the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) between 2017 and 2021, where he supervised key elections in Benue, Anambra, Osun, Rivers, and Cross River states.

APC leaders expressed optimism that Yilwatda’s blend of academic expertise, electoral management experience, and political ambition will help reposition the party as it gears up for future elections, including the 2027 general polls.