APC Moves To Appoint Tinubu’s Minister As Acting National Chairman
Barring last-minute changes, the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, Professor Nentawe Goshwe Yilwatda, is set to be named as the Acting National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
The decision is expected to be finalised during the party’s National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting slated to hold in Abuja on Thursday.
According to PUNCH, Yilwatda, a former gubernatorial candidate of the APC in Plateau State during the 2023 general elections, currently serves in President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s cabinet. His nomination, party insiders say, is part of a broader strategy to stabilise the ruling party and quell internal rumblings threatening its cohesion.
The development comes weeks after the resignation of the former national chairman, Dr Abdullahi Ganduje, on 27 June. Ganduje’s exit, amidst a flurry of political pressures and unresolved grievances within the party hierarchy, left the position in the temporary hands of the APC Deputy National Chairman (North), Ali Bukar Dalori.
However, with Thursday’s NEC meeting set to address pressing issues affecting the party’s unity, Yilwatda’s emergence as acting chairman is seen as a calculated move by the Presidency to reinforce control over the party structure and recalibrate its leadership direction.
Born on 8 August 1968, Yilwatda is an academic and engineer from Plateau State. Before his current ministerial role, he served as the resident electoral commissioner in Benue State between July 2017 and December 2021. He also held the position of ICT director at the Federal University of Agriculture, Makurdi, for over a decade.
Yilwatda’s political prominence rose further when he coordinated the Tinubu/Shettima Campaign Organisation in Plateau State during the last elections.
Though he lost his gubernatorial bid and challenged the result in court, he later accepted the Supreme Court verdict that upheld the victory of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state.
Sources close to the APC power blocs told PUNCH that Yilwatda’s loyalty to President Tinubu and his strong political roots in the North Central region played a crucial role in his nomination for the interim leadership position.
“Yilwatda has remained consistent and loyal to the President and the party. His name came up as a consensus candidate to take charge of the APC during this critical phase. He is expected to steady the ship while broader consultations continue on who will emerge as substantive national chairman,” a senior party official revealed under anonymity.
Though the party is yet to release an official statement confirming the move, there are strong indications that Thursday’s NEC meeting will ratify the decision.
Efforts to reach the APC National Publicity Secretary for confirmation were unsuccessful as of the time of filing this report.
Sodiq Lawal is a passionate and dedicated journalist with a knack for uncovering captivating stories in the bustling metropolis of Osun State and Nigeria at large. He has a versatile reporting style, covering a wide range of topics, from politics , campus, and social issues to arts and culture, seeking impact in all facets of the society.
