The newly appointed Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Nentawe Yilwatda, has pledged to take firm and strategic decisions to strengthen and expand the ruling party, News360 Nigeria reports.
Speaking on Channels Television’s Politics Today shortly after his emergence in Abuja, Yilwatda assured party members and supporters of decisive leadership guided by collaboration and calm resolve.
“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 said.
Comparing his leadership style to that of President Bola Tinubu, Yilwatda stressed that calmness and soft-spoken traits would not hinder tough policy execution.
“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,” he stated.
Yilwatda outlined his immediate goals as fostering unity within the APC and driving its expansion by attracting governors from the opposition.
Already, two governors, Umo Eno of Akwa Ibom and Sheriff Oborevwori of Delta, have joined the APC from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in 2025, raising APC’s control to 23 states.
“We have 23 governors and we are still counting. My job is to bring in more. We would do legwork and bring in more,” Yilwatda declared.
He also revealed plans to consult with his predecessors, Abdullahi Ganduje, Adams Oshiomhole, Abdullahi Adamu, and Mai Mala Buni, leveraging their experiences to guide his leadership and ensure smooth implementation of the party’s manifesto.
Highlighting his qualifications, Yilwatda referenced his diverse background in academia, engineering, electoral management, and humanitarian service.
A registered engineer and former university lecturer, he served as Resident Electoral Commissioner with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and was appointed Minister of Humanitarian Affairs by President Tinubu in October 2024.
“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 said.
Yilwatda contested the 2023 Plateau State governorship election as APC’s candidate but lost to the PDP’s Caleb Mutfwang.
Now as APC chairman, he hopes to reposition the party and steer it toward broader national dominance.
