Humanitarian affairs minister, Professor Nentawe Yilwatda, emerges as new APC national chairman

The appointment was made during a high-stakes meeting at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.

 The National Executive Committee (NEC) of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has today appointed Professor Nentawe Yilwatda, currently the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, as the new National Chairman of the party.

Professor Yilwatda replaces Dr. Abdullahi Ganduje, who tendered his resignation on June 27, 2025, citing health reasons.

The nomination of Professor Yilwatda was made by the Chairman of the Progressive Governors’ Forum (PGF), Governor Hope Uzodinma of Imo State, and was seconded by the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Dr. Tajudeen Abbas.

The NEC meeting, which is currently ongoing at the Presidential Villa, formalized the appointment.

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Professor Yilwatda, an engineer and academic, was previously the APC’s gubernatorial candidate in Plateau State during the 2023 general elections.

He also served as a Resident Electoral Commissioner for the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from 2017 to 2021 before being appointed Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction by President Bola Tinubu in October 2024.

His emergence as chairman aligns with the party’s zoning arrangement, which reportedly favored the North-Central geopolitical zone for the leadership position following Ganduje’s exit.

This is a breaking story, and more details are expected to emerge from the NEC meeting shortly.