Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda Named New APC National Chairman

By Olatunbosun Obafemi
The Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management, and Social Development, Nentawe Yilwatda, has been appointed the new National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), bringing an end to weeks of speculation over the successor to Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, who stepped down citing health issues.
Yilwatda’s appointment was finalized late Wednesday night during a high-level meeting at the Presidential Villa in Abuja, presided over by President Bola Tinubu and attended by APC governors and other influential party stakeholders.
A member of the party’s National Working Committee (NWC), who confirmed the decision, said the move reflects the party’s intention to shift toward technocratic leadership rather than relying solely on career politicians. The source also noted that Yilwatda’s emergence as a Christian from the Middle Belt was a deliberate step to address religious imbalances within the APC’s top hierarchy.
Yilwatda, the APC governorship candidate in Plateau State during the 2023 elections, was appointed minister in 2024. Born on August 8, 1968, in Dungung, Kanke Local Government Area, he is the son of the late Reverend and Mrs. Toma Yilwatda.
He previously served as the Resident Electoral Commissioner in Benue State from 2017 after his appointment by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), earning praise for his electoral and administrative acumen.
A seasoned technocrat, Yilwatda is a registered engineer with the Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN) and a member of the Nigerian Society of Engineers, the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers, and the Solar Society of Nigeria.