{"id":120962,"date":"2025-07-24T16:23:15","date_gmt":"2025-07-24T15:23:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pointblanknews.com\/pbn\/?p=120962"},"modified":"2025-07-24T16:23:15","modified_gmt":"2025-07-24T15:23:15","slug":"apc-names-yilwatda-as-new-party-chairman","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/pointblanknews.com\/pbn\/exclusive\/apc-names-yilwatda-as-new-party-chairman\/","title":{"rendered":"APC Names Yilwatda As New Party Chairman"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n
By Oscar Okhifo<\/div>\n
\n
\n
<\/div>\n
The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has named the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, Professor Nentawe Yilwatda, as its new National Chairman, following the resignation of Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
Yilwatda, a former gubernatorial candidate in Plateau State and an accomplished engineer, was formally ratified and inaugurated during the APC National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting held on Thursday day, July 24, 2025, at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
The swearing-in, which took place at about 2:50 p.m., followed a motion moved by Imo State Governor, Hope Uzodinma and seconded by the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
His emergence was a product of consensus building among President Bola Tinubu,\u00a0 APC governors, and other high-ranking party stakeholders, who saw Yilwatda as a unifying figure capable of revitalizing the party ahead of the 2027 general elections.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
Sources say zoning considerations, regional balancing, and religious inclusion played major roles in his nomination. Coming from Plateau State in the North-Central zone and as a Christian, his appointment is seen as strategic in light of the Muslim-Muslim presidency of Tinubu and Shettima.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
Yilwatda replaces Ganduje, who resigned on June 27, 2025, amid growing pressure over alleged mismanagement and internal party discord. Party insiders indicated that health concerns were cited as part of Ganduje\u2019s reasons for stepping down.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
Before his ministerial appointment, Yilwatda served as Resident Electoral Commissioner for Benue State between 2017 and 2021 and is a former lecturer and dean in the Faculty of Engineering at the Federal University of Agriculture, Makurdi.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
He also held key leadership roles at the National Space Research and Development Agency (NASRDA) and the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC).<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
He ran for Governor of Plateau State under the APC in 2023 but lost to the PDP\u2019s Caleb Mutfwang. Despite the loss, his influence within the party remained significant.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
In his acceptance speech, the newly inaugurated Chairman thanked President Tinubu and the NEC for the confidence reposed in him and pledged to build a more inclusive and progressive party structure. He vowed to reconcile aggrieved members, strengthen internal democracy, and reposition the APC for electoral dominance.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
\u201cI\u2019m deeply honoured by this responsibility. We will open the doors wider, listen to our people, and deliver on the Renewed Hope agenda,\u201d Yilwatda said.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
Political analysts believe the choice of Yilwatda is aimed at rebranding the APC’s image, boosting its appeal across religious and ethnic lines, and restoring unity among the ranks after months of internal wrangling. Will the Professor become the silver bullet APC needs to achieve victory across the board? Time will tell.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n