The Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, Dr. Nentawe Yilwatda, has been elected as the new National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), marking a pivotal leadership change within Nigeria’s ruling party.

Yilwatda was unanimously endorsed and elected on Thursday by members of the APC National Executive Committee (NEC) during a crucial meeting held at the Banquet Hall of the Presidential Villa in Abuja.

His nomination came from the Chairman of the Progressive Governors’ Forum and Governor of Imo State, Hope Uzodimma, and was seconded by the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Abbas Tajudeen. The motion was put to a voice vote and was overwhelmingly adopted by NEC members present.

The election of Yilwatda to the party’s highest office comes at a time of strategic recalibration for the APC, as it works to consolidate its political dominance at the federal level and in states where new defections have recently boosted its ranks.

Dr. Nentawe Yilwatda, 56, hails from Plateau State and is a former academic and technocrat. He was appointed Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in October 2023 and was officially sworn in on November 4 of that year.

His new role as party chairman marks a significant political leap and places him at the center of shaping the APC’s internal dynamics and electoral strategies ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Yilwatda replaces Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, who resigned as APC National Chairman in June 2025, citing personal reasons and a desire to focus on other commitments. In a statement confirming his resignation, APC National Publicity Secretary, Felix Morka, said:

“His resignation, which is effective immediately, was offered to enable him to attend to urgent and important personal matters.”

Ganduje, a two-term governor of Kano State (2015–2023), had assumed leadership of the APC in August 2023 following the resignation of Senator Abdullahi Adamu, another former governor. After stepping down, Ganduje was appointed by President Tinubu as the Chairman of the Board of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) in January 2025.

In the interim, the party’s Deputy National Chairman (North), Ali Bukar Dalori, had overseen party affairs until Thursday’s election.

The appointment of Yilwatda is expected to inject fresh energy and direction into the party’s leadership as it navigates critical political moments, including upcoming governorship elections in Anambra, Ekiti, and Osun States, as well as potential by-elections nationwide.

Analysts believe Yilwatda’s technocratic background and ministerial experience could prove valuable in managing the complex interests within the APC, which has continued to face internal disputes, regional balancing pressures, and calls for reforms in its structure and operations.

With President Tinubu’s backing and the strong support of the party’s NEC, Yilwatda now shoulders the task of uniting the party’s various factions, driving policy cohesion, and preparing the APC for another round of electoral battles including the all-important 2027 general elections.

Political observers say his leadership will also be tested by how he navigates the party’s internal e-registration drive, its congresses and primaries, and efforts to strengthen grassroots mobilization in response to growing opposition momentum.