Nentawe Yilwatda, the current Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, has been elected as the new National Chairman of the All Progressive Congress (APC).
His appointment was officially announced on Thursday, July 24, 2025, during the party's National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting in Abuja.
Yilwatda's emergence was a "consensus decision" by the NEC, replacing Dr. Abdullahi Ganduje, who resigned on June 27, 2025, citing health reasons.
The nomination was made by Governor Hope Uzodinma of Imo state, who is the Chairman of the Progressive Governors’ Forum (PGF), and seconded by the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Dr. Tajudeen Abbas.
A former governorship candidate in Plateau state and a respected academic, Nentawe Yilwatda is known as a loyal party member with a measured temperament and significant policy depth.
His appointment is seen as a move towards a quieter and more strategic phase for the party as it prepares for the 2027 general election and internal reforms.
Yilwatda was born on August 8, 1968, and holds a PhD in Digital Systems Engineering.
Before his ministerial role (he was appointed Minister of Humanitarian Affairs in October 2024), he served as a Resident Electoral Commissioner for INEC and was the Director of ICT at the Federal University of Agriculture, Makurdi.
He was also the APC's gubernatorial candidate in Plateau State during the 2023 elections.