BREAKING: Humanitarian minister, Nentawe, emerges APC national chairman

The National Executive Committee of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has named the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Social Development, Yilwatda Nentawe, as substantive chairman of the party.

Imo State Governor Hope Uzodimma, who heads the Progressive Governors’ Forum, announced the motion at the ongoing 14th meeting of the Committee holding at the State House Conference Centre, Abuja.

The motion was seconded by the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas.

The minister was immediately sworn in thereafter.

Nentawe took the oath of office at 02:50 pm in the presence of party bigwigs during the 14th NEC meeting holding at the State House Conference Centre, Abuja, on Thursday.

Nentawe, who hails from Plateau State, North Central Zone, was the APC’s Governorship candidate in the 2023 elections.

His appointment came ahead of today’s National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting of the ruling party, after the stakeholders’ parley involving President Bola Tinubu, the APC Progressive Governors Forum (PGF), among others, held at the Aso Rock Presidential Villa on Wednesday night.

The NWC source also based the choice of Yilwatda, a Christian, on the resolve of the party leaders to correct the religious imbalance in the hierarchy of the party’s national positions, describing it as strategic.

Appointed the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs last year, Yilwatda was the APC Plateau governorship candidate in the 2023 general elections.

Born on August 8, 1968, in Dungung, Kanke LG, to the family of a clergy, Late Rev and Toma Yilwatda, he came with huge administrative and electoral experiences.

He was appointed in 2017 as a Commissioner with Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and posted to Benue State as the Resident Electoral Commissioner.

As a registered Engineer with Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN), member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers, member of the Nigeria Society of Engineers, member of the Solar Society of Nigeria, he came as a professional after an intense networking.