The Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda, has emerged today as the national chairman of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
It was reported earlier that Nentawe was the leading choice for the position.
At the National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting today, credible insiders revealed that Nentawe has been confirmed as the APC national chairman.…CONTINUEREADING
Here are seven things to know about the newly appointed APC national chairman:
1. Yilwatda became a minister after his political mentor and former Plateau governor, Senator Simon Lalong, resigned from the cabinet to return to the Senate following the Court of Appeal’s sacking of the PDP lawmaker earlier declared winner for Plateau South Senatorial District.
2. Before his ministerial appointment, Yilwatda was the APC governorship candidate in Plateau in the 2023 elections, losing to Governor Caleb Mutfwang of the PDP. A loyalist of Lalong, he defeated the former governor’s deputy, Sonni Gwanle Tyoden, and three others to clinch the APC ticket.
3. He also served as the state coordinator of the Tinubu/Shettima Campaign Organisation during the 2023 elections.
4. Between July 2017 and December 2021, Yilwatda was the Resident Electoral Commissioner in Benue State—a role he resigned from to contest the APC governorship primary in 2022. Prior to that, he was ICT director at the Federal University of Agriculture, Makurdi, for 12 years.
5. Born on 8 August 1968 in Dungung, Kanke Local Government Area of Plateau State, Yilwatda hails from a family of religious persons—the late Rev and Mrs Toma Yilwatda. He earned a degree in Electrical/Electronic Engineering in 1992 from the Federal University of Agriculture, Makurdi.
6. He later obtained a master’s degree from Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University, Bauchi, and a PhD in Digital Systems Engineering from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka.
7. He is also a community development expert and lecturer at the Federal University of Agriculture, Makurdi, with over 29 years’ experience as a consultant for international development partners, and both the public and private sectors.
