The emergence of the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, Prof. 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, Tajudeen Abbas.
The outcome of the meeting showed 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 the 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 the North-West region.
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.
In his acceptance speech, Professor Yilwatda, promised to run an inclusive administration.
At a separate session with other members of the APC National Working Committee (NWC) at the party’s 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.
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.
The President 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”, he 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 stabilised, despite the challenges inherited by his government. The President also declared that his administration has regained lost grounds in the fight against Insecurity and terrorism.
Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas 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.
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.
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.
