Newly elected National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC). Professor Nentawe Yilwatda has pledged to work with all stakeholders to unite, strengthen and expand the ruling party.
Yilwatda gave the assurance during his acceptance speech at the 14th National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting of the APC, held at the State House Conference Centre in Abuja.
“I pledge without hesitation that I will work with everybody in the party, unite the party, build the party, expand the party—with you as the focus and the building block and the support I will require to drive the party as needed by all of us. I accept this mandate with gratitude and a complete sense of responsibility, determined to work with all of you to fulfil the dreams of Nigerians who have reposed their hope in the Renewed Hope Agenda,” Yilwatda said.
Yilwatda, the APC’s 2023 governorship candidate in Plateau State and Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, said the task ahead requires collective effort.
“We are all mechanics of this vehicle—the APC—and together, we will fix it and drive it to our destination,” he declared.
He thanked the party’s leadership, including President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, governors, members of the National Assembly, and NEC members, for what he called “a great responsibility at a pivotal time.”
His emergence followed a consensus nomination moved by the Chairman of the Progressive Governors’ Forum and Imo Governor Hope Uzodinma.
Uzodinma praised the outgoing leadership, particularly former Chairman Dr. Abdullahi Ganduje, and emphasised the need for continuity and discipline.
“As we turn this page, it is imperative that we quickly move to nominate a capable and unifying replacement—someone who can build on the foundation laid and help reposition the party to its rightful place of pride in Nigeria’s democratic history,” Uzodinma said while formally nominating Yilwatda.
The motion was seconded by Speaker Tajudeen Abbas. In a series of leadership adjustments, Uzodinma also proposed that the National Legal Adviser role be reassigned from North Central to North West with Barrister Murtala from Katsina State nominated for the role.
Professor Karim Kana, the current Legal Adviser, was nominated to assume the position of Deputy National Secretary.
The motion also included the extension of tenure for all ward and local government executives of the APC until December 31, 2025, a proposal NEC members later endorsed.
Acting National Chairman Engr. Bukar Dalori explained that the NEC meeting was convened following Ganduje’s resignation to fill the resulting leadership vacancy.
He commended President Tinubu and the Progressive Governors for their strategic intervention during the transition period.
Born on August 8, 1968, in Dungung, Kanke Local Government Area of Plateau State, Professor Yilwatda comes with a rich blend of academic, governance and technological experience.
A graduate of the Federal University of Agriculture, Makurdi, he obtained further degrees from ATBU Bauchi and the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, specialising in Electronic and Computer Engineering.
He spent over 26 years at his alma mater where he served as the pioneer Director of ICT and earned several accolades for innovation and leadership.
His career spans partnerships with global development institutions such as the World Bank, European Union, UNICEF, and TECHVILE USA.
In 2017, he was appointed a Resident Electoral Commissioner at the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) where he championed key electoral reforms, including policies for Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) and Persons with Disabilities (PWDs).
He resigned in 2021 to pursue electoral office and later served as the Plateau Coordinator of the Tinubu/Shettima Campaign in 2023.
