ABUJA – The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has named Professor Nentawe Yilwatda as its new National Chairman, following the resignation of Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, who stepped down citing health reasons.

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Prof. Yilwatda, the current Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and a former academic, was chosen as the consensus candidate after a crucial late-night meeting in Abuja between President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and APC governors. The party’s National Executive Committee (NEC) is expected to formally ratify his appointment during its meeting scheduled for later today.

 

A native of Plateau State, the 56-year-old Yilwatda was the APC governorship candidate in the 2023 general elections and is widely respected for his academic and administrative credentials. His emergence aligns with the party’s zoning arrangement, which reserves the chairmanship for the North-Central zone — comprising Benue, Kwara, Kogi, Nasarawa, Niger, and Plateau states.

 

Insiders say Yilwatda’s Christian background played a strategic role in his selection, in a move aimed at balancing the party’s leadership structure and promoting religious inclusivity, especially with both the President and Vice President being Muslims.

 

“He is young, articulate, and carries no political baggage,” a senior APC official told PREMIUM TIMES. “We see in him a chance to rebrand the party and strengthen our appeal to a wider segment of the electorate.”

 

Before venturing into politics, Yilwatda was a lecturer in engineering at the Federal University of Agriculture, Makurdi, and served as a Resident Electoral Commissioner with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from 2017 to 2021, overseeing critical polls in several states including Benue, Anambra, Osun, Rivers, and Cross River.

 

Party leaders are optimistic that his blend of academic excellence, electoral experience, and political exposure will help reposition the APC ahead of future elections.

 

Further details are expected following the NEC’s ratification later today.