THE new Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Nentawe Yilwatda, has vowed to take tough decisions in his position as the leader of the ruling party.
Yilwatda stated this on Channels Television’s Politics Today programme hours after he emerged as APC chair in Abuja monitored by News Point Nigeria.
Yilwatda, who likened his gentle mien to that of President Bola Tinubu, said he would consult broadly across the party’s organs and take tough decisions for the collective interest of the party.
“Of course, I will because that is what the president asked me to do and the members are asking me to do also,” he said.
“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.”
The new APC chairman said he would invest in legwork to bring more governors from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and other opposition parties to join the APC.
“My job is to unite the party, (and) to expand the party. We have 23 governors and we are still counting. My job is to bring in more. We would do legwork and bring in more,” he said.
So far in 2025, two governors dumped the PDP for the APC — Umo Eno of Akwa Ibom State and his Delta State counterpart, Sheriff Oborevwori. At the moment, the APC controls 23 states, the PDP rules 10 states whilst the Labour Party (LP), the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) and the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) control one state each.
Furthermore, the new APC chairman said he would capitalise on the presence of his predecessors Abdullahi Ganduje, Adams Oshiomhole, Abdullahi Adamu, and Mai Mala Buni still in the party, glean from their vast experience to steer the APC to the desired destination.
“My immediate priority is that the party is united,” he said, saying he will coordinate the party to implement its manifesto to the fullest.
Yilwatda was the APC 2023 governorship candidate in Plateau State. The election was won by Caleb Mutfwang of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
The new APC chairman said, given his antecedents, he has the necessary experience to lead the ruling party.
Yilwatda said his experience as a registered engineer, a former lecturer with the Federal University of Agriculture, Makurdi, Benue State; a former Resident Electoral Commissioner of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and until recently, Humanitarian Affairs Minister, were “building blocks” that prepared him for the big role of APC national chairman.
“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, who was appointed minister by President Bola Tinubu in October 2024, occupied the office till his emergence as the APC national chairman on Thursday.