Prof. Nentawe Goshwe Yilwatda has emerged as the new National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, replacing Abdullahi Ganduje, the former Kano State governor, who stepped down citing health issues.

Yilwatda, a former APC governorship candidate in Plateau State, is a technocrat and politician with roots in engineering, governance reform, and party politics.

Born on August 8, 1968, in Dungung, Kanke Local Government Area of Plateau State, he is the son of the late Rev and Mrs Toma Yilwatda.

He studied Electrical/Electronic Engineering at the Federal University of Agriculture, Makurdi, graduating in 1992.

He went on to obtain a Master’s in Engineering from Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University, Bauchi, and a PhD from the University o’ Nigeria, Nsukka, with a specialisation in Digital Systems Engineering.

Yilwatda has international training in e-governance from the United Nations University in Macau, China.

During the 2023 general elections, he served as the coordinator of the Tinubu/Shettima Presidential Campaign in Plateau State and contested the governorship election under the APC platform.

After losing the election to the PDP, Yilwatda challenged the outcome in court but later accepted the Supreme Court’s decision in favour of the PDP.

Within the APC, Yilwatda maintains a strong alliance with former Plateau State governor, Simon Lalong.

He maintains a close political relationship with former governor Simon Lalong and was widely tipped for a ministerial position following Lalong’s move to the Senate.

Yilwatda was later nominated as Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation before being named the party’s substantive chairman. (The PUNCH)