Dr Nentawe Goshwe Yilwatda, currently serving as Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, has emerged new National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC). This appointment comes amid heightened speculation regarding who would succeed the outgoing chairman, Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, who stepped down citing health concerns.
According to a member of the APC’s National Working Committee (NWC), Dr Yilwatda’s selection reflects the party leadership’s intention to place democratic ideals at the party’s helm, moving away from the tradition of career politicians previously dominating this role.
Dr Yilwatda’s appointment was finalised on the eve of Thursday’s significant National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting, following high-level discussions between President Tinubu, the APC Progressive Governors Forum, and other key stakeholders at the Aso Rock Presidential Villa on Wednesday night.
Party insiders have also highlighted that choosing Dr Yilwatda—a Christian—was a deliberate strategy to address religious diversity within the party’s national leadership, aiming to create a more balanced representation.
Dr Yilwatda brings extensive experience to the position. He was appointed Minister of Humanitarian Affairs in 2024 and was the APC’s gubernatorial candidate for Plateau State during the 2023 general elections. Born on 8 August 1968 in Dungung, Kanke Local Government Area, to the family of the late Reverend and Mrs Toma Yilwatda, he is recognised both for his administrative acumen and his professional achievements.
An accomplished engineer, he is a registered member of the Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN), the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), the Nigerian Society of Engineers, and the Solar Society of Nigeria.
With this appointment, the APC appears poised for a period of renewed leadership, with hopes that Dr Yilwatda’s broad expertise and balanced approach will steer the party towards greater unity and progress.
