APC NEC Confirms THE WHISTLER Exclusive Report, Names Nentawe Yilwatda Chairman

The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has confirmed THE WHISTLER’s exclusive report by unveiling the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, Professor Nentawe Yilwatda, as its new national chairman.

The confirmation came during the National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting chaired by President Bola Tinubu at the Banquet Hall of the Presidential Villa in Abuja on Thursday, where party leaders ratified Yilwatda’s appointment to replace Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, who recently resigned from the position citing health concerns.

THE WHISTLER reported that Ganduje’s resignation as national chairman on June 27 had paved the way for the deputy national chairman (North), Ali Bukar Dalori, to assume the position in acting capacity.

However, push for the national chairmanship to return to the North-Central zone gained momentum in the weeks leading to the NEC meeting.

The North-Central APC Forum had appealed to President Tinubu and the party leadership to allow the office of the national chairman be zoned to the region in the spirit of fairness and in alignment with the party’s internal zoning arrangements.

Chairman of the Forum, Saleh Zazzaga, argued that bypassing the North-Central would be a political miscalculation.

Yilwatda’s nomination, THE WHISTLER gathered, was widely supported within the party, especially in Plateau State, where he maintained a close relationship with former governor and current Plateau South Senator, Simon Lalong.

He was among those canvassed to fill the state’s ministerial vacancy after Lalong reigned as Minister of Labour and Employment on August 2, 2023, to move to the Senate.

Born on August 8, 1968, Yilwatda was an engineering lecturer at the Federal University of Agriculture, Makurdi, Benue State, and served as ICT Director at the university for over a decade

He attended Boys’ Secondary School, Gindiri and obtained his first degree from the Federal University of Agriculture, Makurdi, followed by a master’s degree from ATBU, Bauchi, and a doctorate from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, specializing in Electronic and Computer Engineering.

Yilwatda, according to his profile shared by the presidency, has contributed to the digital transformation of Nigeria’s public and private sectors. His consultancy work spans multinational organizations and global development partners such as the European Union, UNICEF, the World Bank, and TECHVILE USA.

He served as a Resident Electoral Commissioner for the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) between 2017 and 2021, and oversaw elections in Benue, Anambra, Osun, Rivers, and Cross River states.

During his tenure, he championed policy amendments to the Electoral Act, the development of voting frameworks for Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) and People Living with Disabilities (PWDs), and the deepening of technology in Nigeria’s electoral system.

Yilwatda was the Plateau coordinator of the Tinubu/Shettima presidential campaign council in 2023. The APC will be relying on his experience in electoral management, campaign coordination, and administration ahead of the 2027 general elections.

He was appointed minister by President Tinubu in October 2024, and previously flew the APC’s flag during the 2023 governorship election in Plateau.

The new APC chairman serves as a member of the Presidential Economic Management Team and Chairman of the Euro-African Dialogue on Migration and Development.

APC NEC Confirms THE WHISTLER Exclusive Report, Names Nentawe Yilwatda Chairman is first published on The Whistler Newspaper