…Yilwatda officially took the oath of office at exactly 2:52 p.m. during the APC’s 14th NEC meeting.
ABUJA, NIGERIA – The iNews Times reports that the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, Professor Nentawe Goshwe Yilwatda, has emerged as the new National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), following a consensus decision ratified by the party’s National Executive Committee (NEC) on Thursday.
Yilwatda officially took the oath of office at exactly 2:52 p.m. during the APC’s 14th NEC meeting held at the Banquet Hall of the Presidential Villa, Abuja. His emergence comes one month after the resignation of former chairman Abdullahi Ganduje, who stepped down citing health concerns.
Imo State Governor and Chairman of the Progressive Governors’ Forum, Hope Uzodinma, formally nominated Yilwatda, while the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, seconded the motion. The NEC unanimously adopted the Plateau-born technocrat through a consensus arrangement praised by stakeholders as a unifying move.
Yilwatda, a former governorship candidate in Plateau State, is known within party ranks for his blend of technocratic expertise and grassroots mobilisation. His appointment is seen as strategic ahead of key political contests, including the off-cycle governorship elections in Edo, Ondo, and Kogi states.
Thursday’s NEC meeting was presided over by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, who reaffirmed the party’s commitment to internal cohesion and political stability. Also in attendance were Vice President Kashim Shettima, Senate President Godswill Akpabio, House Speaker Tajudeen Abbas, APC governors, former Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, and members of the party’s National Working Committee (NWC).
Yilwatda’s ascension comes at a time when the ruling party is navigating delicate political waters, and his task will include reconciling factions, strengthening party structures, and reinforcing public confidence ahead of the 2027 general elections.