President Bola Tinubu and the party’s governors have agreed on Professor Nentawe Yilwatda to become the All Progressives Congress’s new national chairman, tapping the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs to restore credibility and drive unity ahead of 2027 . His nomination will be ratified at today’s National Executive Committee meeting, relocated to the Presidential Villa for heightened security and symbolic backing from the presidency .
Yilwatda, 56, hails from Plateau State in the North-Central zone, aligning with the APC’s internal zoning agreement after former chairman Abdullahi Ganduje’s resignation in June . An engineering lecturer turned Resident Electoral Commissioner for INEC (2017–2021), he oversaw polls in five states before entering politics as the APC’s 2023 Plateau governorship candidate—and later joining Tinubu’s cabinet in October 2024 .
Party insiders say Yilwatda’s blend of academic rigour, bureaucratic neutrality, and faith-based inclusivity appealed to leaders seeking a fresh face untainted by factional baggage . His Christian background balances the religious makeup of the presidency and vice presidency, while his technocratic track record promises disciplined administration and tighter coordination of APC’s grassroots machinery .
The NEC is expected to immediately inaugurate Yilwatda, with the Progressives Governors Forum moving the adoption motion and the House Speaker seconding it in the Banquet Hall of the Villa . Governors will also iron out zoning disputes and endorse a roadmap for by-elections in Anambra, Ekiti, and Osun—critical tests of the party’s cohesion and electoral readiness.
As APC positions itself for the next general election, Yilwatda faces the twin challenges of healing internal rifts and sharpening the party’s policy agenda. His success will hinge on leveraging his administrative experience to deliver on promises of transparent governance and inclusive leadership—key to revitalising the ruling party’s appeal.
