In a significant shift within Nigeria’s ruling party, the All Progressives Congress (APC) has named Dr. Nentawe Goshwe Yilwatda as its new National Chairman, following the resignation of Abdullahi Ganduje, the former governor of Kano State, who stepped down citing health concerns.
Dr. Yilwatda’s emergence marks a strategic turn for the APC, blending technocratic expertise with grassroots political experience — a combination the party may be banking on ahead of future national challenges.
Who is Dr. Nentawe Yilwatda?
Born on August 8, 1968, in Dungung, a town in Kanke Local Government Area of Plateau State, Yilwatda is the son of the late Rev. and Mrs. Toma Yilwatda. His journey into public life began not in politics but in academia and engineering.
A graduate of Electrical/Electronic Engineering from the Federal University of Agriculture, Makurdi (1992), Yilwatda went on to earn a Master’s degree in Engineering from Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University, Bauchi, and later completed a PhD in Digital Systems Engineering from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka. He also received international training in e-governance from the United Nations University in Macau, China — further strengthening his credentials as a forward-thinking technocrat.
From Campaign Coordinator to Party Leader
Yilwatda rose to political prominence during the 2023 general elections, where he served as the APC’s Presidential Campaign Coordinator for the Tinubu/Shettima ticket in Plateau State. He also contested the governorship election in the state under the APC banner.
Although he lost the governorship race to the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Yilwatda challenged the result through the courts, ultimately accepting the Supreme Court’s ruling that upheld the PDP’s victory — a move widely seen as a mark of political maturity.
Ties That Bind: Yilwatda and Lalong
Within Plateau’s political landscape, Yilwatda is closely aligned with former governor Simon Lalong, a key figure in northern Nigerian politics and a former Minister of Labour. The alliance between the two men has remained solid over the years, with Yilwatda reportedly being considered for a ministerial appointment during President Bola Tinubu’s cabinet formation.
While he was initially tipped for the role of Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, political dynamics eventually shifted in his favor with a much larger responsibility: steering the APC at the national level.
What Yilwatda’s Emergence Means for the APC
Dr. Nentawe Yilwatda’s appointment as APC National Chairman is being interpreted as a strategic move to reinvigorate the party’s leadership with a mix of technocratic discipline, political loyalty, and regional balance. As the APC prepares for internal reforms and future electoral battles, his leadership style will be under close watch — both within the party and across the national political spectrum.
For now, many observers see Yilwatda as a steady hand capable of navigating the complexities of party politics while appealing to Nigeria’s youthful, increasingly reform-minded electorate.
