• Two NEC officers affected • I need your cooperation to fix the party, erstwhile Minister pleads with stakeholders • Tinubu tasks FCT minister, govs on befitting national secretariat • Coalition against APC, desperate, lacks ideology —Speaker Abbas

The emergence of the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, Professor Nentawe Goshwe Yilwatda, as the successor of Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje as the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), on Thursday, altered the zoning structure in the party,

The ‘election’ of Yilwatda at the 14th National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting held at the Presidential Villa, underlined the sustained agitation by stakeholders in the APC from the North Central zone that the seat of national chairman of the ruling party be returned to the region.

His choice followed the adoption of a motion moved by the Imo State governor and Chairman, Progressive Governors Forum, Senator Hope Uzodimma.

The governor’s motion was seconded by the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Honourable Tajudeen Abbas.

The outcome of the meeting showed that there was casualty at the party national secretariat, following Yilwatda’s emergence as it altered the party zoning arrangement.

For example, the Deputy National Secretary, Barrister Festus Faunter, who hails from Plateau as the new chairman, lost his position to the power game in the APC.

Professor Abdulkareem Kana from Nasarawa State in same North-Central takes the position of Deputy National Secretary as he lost his position as national legal adviser to Murtala Aliyu Kankia from Katsina State in North-West.

Bukar Dalori from Borno State in the North-East, who was Acting National Chairman, following the resignation of Ganduje, returned to his seat as Deputy National Chairman, North.

The 2023 APC governorship candidate in Plateau State replaced former national chairman, Dr. Abdullahi Ganduje, who resigned on June 28.

Born on August 8, 1968, Yilwatda, was appointed a minister in October 2024, and between July 2017 and December 2021, he was the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in Benue State. He was appointed by late President Muhammadu Buhari.

He was also the ICT director at the Federal University of Agriculture, Makurdi, for 12 years.

Nentawe served as the director of ICT developing a 10-year ICT strategy plan encompassing ICT architecture and information flows associated with the various functions, processes, and key reports that the system will need to generate on a regular basis.

He was a member of the University’s Senate from 2006 to 2017 and served as the coordinator of the Tinubu/Shettima Campaign Organization in Plateau State during the 2023 general election.

In his acceptance speech, Professor Yilwatda, promised to run an inclusive administration.

He said: “Let me express my profound gratitude to God and the leadership of the party, from the President, to the Governors, and the National Assembly members, all members of NEC, for the confidence and trust reposed in me to lead the party at this time.

“Let me thank you also for picking me among millions of members of this party, and that the party will see me good enough and responsible enough to take this party to the next level.

“I do not take this mandate for granted. I want to accept it with gratitude and with my full heart and with my full mind to work together with you, to build the party, knowing that all of us here are the mechanics of the party and the party is our vehicle and we will all fix it and move it to our destination of choice.

“I pledge without hesitation that I will work with everybody in the party, unite the party, build the party, expand the party with you as the focus and the building block and the support I will require to drive the party as needed by all of us so that we can fulfill the dream of Nigerians who have reposed their hope in the renewed hope agenda.”

At a separate session with other members of the APC National Working Committee at the party national secretariat, the new national chairman who pleaded for their support, declared that the party headquarters must at all times be on the same page with the administration of President Bola Tinubu to redeem its electoral promises to Nigerians.

“The trust that you have for APC and the renewal agenda of Mr. President, we must ensure that we help the executive and the people of Nigeria. Like I said in my acceptance speech, all of us here, especially national working committee, we are the mechanics, the party is a vehicle, we will fix it, we will drive it, and we will work it and ensure that we get to the destination of our choice.

“It’s our collective effort and I’m sure by the time we put our hands on the deck collectively, this party will be great, this party will be the joy and the pride and the pride of the entire nation and that’s what I look forward to this party becoming under our collective leadership.”

In his remarks, Tinubu tasked the APC Governors and the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike to put heads together towards the realization of the construction of a befitting modern national secretariat for the party.

He said: “We should put a committee together of progressive governors to find an appropriate land and build an insect area. I take that. I think we should do that.”

In an apparent reference to the gale of defections into the APC, Tinubu advised the new chairman to build a political party devoid of internal rancour.

He specifically mandated him to establish a committee that would tour the country to facilitate the smooth registration of new members, especially recent defectors.

“Our doors are still open and we should embrace them wholeheartedly. Those who have joined us should enjoy the registration and the membership of our party without any difficulty,” the president stated.

Tinubu also used the occasion to showcase his score cards as he enumerated the achievements of his administration in the last two years.

He maintained that under his watch, the economy has stabilized, despite the challenges inherited by his government. “I can report to you today that the economy that you inherited, wobbling for views is today stabilized, and we are making growth.”

He declared that his administration has regained lost grounds in the fight against Insecurity and terrorism.

“Thousands of terrorists and bandits have been neutralized, the fear is going down but we still have to be very, very serious, vigilant, and make sure that we put additional investment in our people.”

The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Honourable Abbas Tajudeen described the coalition against the ruling APC ahead of the 2027 general election as a desperate attempt that lacks ideology.

Speaking at the NEC meeting, the speaker said the coalition, which has now adopted the African Democratic Congress (ADC) as its platform for the elections, only wants to replicate the merger of political parties to form the APC ahead of the 2023 election.

Abbas said: “Since our last (APC NEC) meeting, the opposition has undergone seismic shifts. The PDP is fracturing due to leadership tussles and defections, with many members joining either the APC or a new opposition coalition under the African Democratic Congress (ADC). This coalition, cobbled from former PDP, APC, and Labour Party players, plots to challenge us in 2027.

“While this poses a challenge, it is a desperate coalition attempting to replicate our 2013 APC merger. Their unity appears opportunistic, and their lack of a clear ideology weakens their appeal compared to our proven and tested governance.”

He added: “Smaller parties, such as the Labour Party and the NNPP, are clearly in decline. The Labour Party’s momentum has drastically diminished. The NNPP buckles beneath bitter bickering and internal conflicts. The ADC is desperately courting other parties, such as the SDP and PRP.

“Amidst all these, the APC must remain vigilant, preparing for a potentially united opposition in 2027. The APC’s dominance is clear, but complacency is not an option. The formation of the ADC coalition necessitates a proactive response. We must strengthen internal cohesion by addressing grievances and rewarding loyalty, ensuring no faction feels sidelined.”

The Speaker, who noted that the APC NEC meeting took place “at this critical moment for our party and nation,” said that since the last meeting in February, Nigeria’s political landscape has undergone significant shifts, necessitating a strategic response.

Speaker Abbas also noted that the APC has navigated a smooth leadership transition following the resignation of its National Chairman, Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, on June 27, 2025, and the election of his successor, Prof. Nentawe Goshwe Yilwatda, the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development “under the guidance of President Tinubu.”

While stating that the APC’s maturity in managing this transition without rancour underscores members’ unity and discipline, he said their strength continues to grow, bolstered by defections from opposition parties. “These defections affirm the APC’s credibility as the party of choice for progressive Nigerians. I warmly welcome our new members and assure them of our commitment to good governance,” he said.

In the past two years, Speaker Abbas disclosed that the APC-dominated House of Representatives has passed a record number of bills, with 57 of them signed into law by President Bola Tinubu, GCFR, which he rated “a record achievement.”

He added that the parliament’s rigorous oversight ensures the implementation of the Renewed Hope Agenda, reflecting strong synergy between the executive and legislative branches.

He said: “President Tinubu’s reforms have stabilised the economy, with reserves rising from $4 billion in 2023 to over $40 billion in July 2025. Inflation has decreased, with food inflation dropping by 7.02 percentage points from June 2024 to June 2025. We must build on these gains, share the facts with Nigerians, and highlight the hard work that has made these achievements possible. (Nigerian Tribune)