By Abdullahi Mukhtar Algasgaini
Professor Nentawe Goshwe Yilwatda, Nigeria’s Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, has been unanimously elected as the new National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
The APC’s National Executive Committee (NEC) confirmed his appointment on Thursday following the resignation of former chairman Dr. Abdullahi Ganduje, who stepped down to attend to private matters.
Yilwatda, a seasoned academic and technocrat, brings decades of leadership experience in academia, electoral reforms, and public service.
A former Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) at INEC, he played a key role in advancing electoral technology and inclusion policies before joining partisan politics.
In 2023, he served as the Plateau State gubernatorial candidate for the APC and later coordinated the Tinubu/Shettima presidential campaign in the state.
As the new APC chairman, Yilwatda is expected to steer the ruling party’s affairs ahead of future elections while balancing his ministerial duties.
His appointment has been widely welcomed by party stakeholders, who describe him as a unifier and reform-driven leader.
The professor holds a PhD in Electronic and Computer Engineering and has consulted for international organizations, including the World Bank and UNICEF.
Analysts say his technocratic background may influence the APC’s policy direction in the coming months.