The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) is on the verge of naming the current Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, Nentawe Yilwatda, as its Acting National Chairman, party insiders have confirmed. The official announcement is expected to be made on Thursday during the APC’s National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting scheduled to take place in Abuja.
This follows the resignation of former Chairman Abdullahi Ganduje on June 27, which left a leadership vacuum at the top of the party. Since Ganduje’s exit, the position has been temporarily held by Ali Bukar Dalori, the party’s Deputy National Chairman (North), who hails from Borno State. However, pressure from party stakeholders and regional groups—particularly from the North-Central zone—appears to have influenced the decision to appoint Yilwatda.
The North-Central APC Forum had earlier demanded that the party’s chairmanship be returned to the region, arguing that fairness and zoning principles were being violated by retaining leadership in the North-East. “Returning the chairmanship to North-Central is not only about equity but about party stability,” one party official said on condition of anonymity.
Yilwatda, born in 1968 in Plateau State, brings a wealth of experience to the role. An engineer and academic, he previously served as Resident Electoral Commissioner in Benue State and held a long tenure as Director of ICT at the Federal University of Agriculture, Makurdi.
He gained national attention as the APC governorship candidate for Plateau State in the 2023 general elections. Though he lost the election to the PDP and his challenge in court was unsuccessful, Yilwatda earned praise for accepting the judgment gracefully and continuing to serve the party faithfully. His appointment to President Bola Tinubu’s cabinet in October 2024 was largely supported by key political figures, including Senator Simon Lalong, a former governor of Plateau and a close ally.
In addition to confirming Yilwatda’s new role, Thursday’s NEC meeting is also expected to tackle internal issues affecting party unity, especially as preparations begin for upcoming off-cycle elections and 2027 general elections. If ratified, Yilwatda’s elevation could signal a renewed effort by the APC to balance regional interests and strengthen internal cohesion ahead of key political milestones.
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