Newly appointed Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Nentawe Yilwatda, has promised to take bold steps to strengthen the ruling party while working to attract more opposition governors into its fold.
Speaking during an appearance on Politics Today on Channels Television just hours after his emergence in Abuja, Yilwatda said:
“The confidence they have in me is to make sure I take tough decisions but with gentility and teamwork for the collective interest of the party.”
He drew a parallel between his calm demeanour and that of President Bola Tinubu, noting that strength does not have to come with aggression.
“Of course, I will because that is what the president asked me to do and the members are asking me to do also,” he said.
“Look at the body language of Mr President; soft-talking, calm, gentle, but look at where he is driving the country, taking tough decisions, where people fear to even discuss.”
Yilwatda also made it clear that expanding the APC’s influence is a top priority, especially by winning over more governors from opposition parties such as the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
“My job is to unite the party, (and) to expand the party. We have 23 governors and we are still counting. My job is to bring in more. We would do legwork and bring in more,” he said.
So far in 2025, two PDP governors; Umo Eno of Akwa Ibom State and Sheriff Oborevwori of Delta State have defected to the APC.
The party now controls 23 states, while the PDP governs 10, and the Labour Party, NNPP, and APGA each control one state.
Yilwatda acknowledged the contributions of past APC chairmen such as Abdullahi Ganduje, Adams Oshiomhole, Abdullahi Adamu, and Mai Mala Buni, saying he would draw from their experience to guide his leadership.
“My immediate priority is that the party is united,” he said, adding that he would focus on coordinating internal structures to implement the party’s manifesto fully.
A former APC governorship candidate in Plateau State in the 2023 elections which was won by PDP’s Caleb Mutfwang, Yilwatda highlighted his varied professional background as preparation for his new role.
“I’m a politician coming in with private sector experience, university experience, administrative experience, election processes experience and now with the political experience to gear the wheel of the party,” he stated.
He also referenced his previous roles as a registered engineer, university lecturer at the Federal University of Agriculture, Makurdi, former Resident Electoral Commissioner with INEC, and most recently, Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, a position he held until his new appointment.
Yilwatda was nominated as minister by President Tinubu in October 2024 before ascending to the APC national chairmanship in July 2025.
