Plateau State-born Professor Nentawe Goshwe Yilwatda has reportedly emerged as the new Chairman of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), putting to rest speculations on who would replace the immediate past national chairman, Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, who resigned from the position on health grounds.
At the APC National Executive Committee (NEC) Congress held on Thursday, Chairman of the Progressive Governors’ Forum, Governor Hope Uzodimma, nominated Yilwatda for the position, and the motion was seconded by the speaker of the House of Representatives, Abbas Tajudeen. The motion was then put to a voice vote and passed.
The emergence of Prof. Yilwatda who is the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, was reportedly endorsed by President Bola Tinubu ahead the NEC meeting of the ruling party, after the stakeholders’ parley involving the President, the APC Progressive Governors Forum (PGF), and other critical stakeholders of the party held at the Aso Rock Presidential Villa on Wednesday night.
A member of the party’s National Working Committee (NWC) who spoke on the condition of anonymity, stated that Yilwatda’s appointment is based on the decision of the party leaders to ensure that a democrat takes over the affairs of the party.
The source noted that the choice of Yilwatda who is a Christian from the North Central region, will see the party leaders correcting the perceived religious imbalance in the hierarchy of the party’s national positions.
The former Plateau State governorship candidate of the APC in the 2023 gubernatorial election was appointed the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs last year.
Born on August 8, 1968, in Dungung, Kanke LGA, to the family of a clergy, Late Rev and Toma Yilwatda, comes with huge administrative and electoral experiences.
He was appointed in 2017 as a Commissioner with Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and posted to Benue State as the Resident Electoral Commissioner.
He is a registered Engineer with Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN), member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers, member of the Nigeria Society of Engineers, member of the Solar Society of Nigeria, he came as a professional after an intense networking.
