Who is Nentawe Yilwatda? Newly elected APC national chairman

Nentawe Goshwe Yilwatda, the minister for humanitarian affairs and poverty reduction, has been unanimously elected as the national chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

The decision was made at the party’s National Executive Council meeting held at the Presidential Villa on Thursday.

“OFFICIAL: Prof. Nentawe Goshwe Yilwatda has been elected as the new National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) at the 14th meeting of the National Executive Committee (NEC) of the Party,” the ruling party posted on its X account on Thursday.

The APC national chairmanship position has been vacant following the resignation of Umar Ganduje last month.

Profile Summary

Basic Background

• Born on August 8, 1968, in Dungung, Kanke Local Government Area, Plateau State, Nigeria. He is the son of the late Rev. and Mrs. Toma Yilwatda.
• Raised in a religious household and attended LGED Primary School (Dungung), followed by Boys’ Secondary School, Gindiri .

Academic & Professional Credentials

• Earned a B.Eng. in Electrical/Electronic Engineering from the Federal University of Agriculture, Makurdi (1992) .
• Obtained an M.Eng from Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University, Bauchi, and a PhD in Digital Systems Engineering from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka.
• Received international training in e‑governance at the United Nations University Institute in Macau, China.
• Served as ICT Director and faculty member at the Federal University of Agriculture, Makurdi; held senior administrative roles there for over a decade.

Electoral Commission & Political Career

• Appointed Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) for Benue State by INEC from July 2017 to December 2021, under President Buhari. Implemented voting frameworks for internally displaced persons and people living with disabilities.
• Resigned in late 2021 to contest the APC governorship primary in Plateau State for the 2023 election. He won the nomination but lost narrowly to PDP’s Caleb Mutfwang .
• Played a key role as Plateau State coordinator for the Tinubu‑Shettima presidential campaign in 2023.

Federal Minister

• Appointed as Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development (often referred to as Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction) by President Bola Tinubu in October 2024 .

APC Leadership

• On July 24, 2025, he was unanimously elected National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) by the party’s National Executive Committee (NEC), succeeding Dr. Abdullahi Ganduje who resigned on June 27, 2025 .
• His selection was seen as a strategic repositioning for inclusion of the North‑Central zone and to signal religious balance within the party leadership

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✅ Key Takeaways

Role/Title	Timeframe
Born	Aug 8, 1968
REC, INEC (Benue State)	Jul 2017 – Dec 2021
APC Plateau Governorship Candidate	2023
Minister of Humanitarian Affairs	From Oct 2024
APC National Chairman	Elected July 24, 2025

Prof. Yilwatda is recognized as a technocratic academic turned political administrator, with deep experience in digital systems engineering, election management reforms, and humanitarian coordination. His rise to APC National Chairman reflects both his professional credentials and political alignment with President Tinubu’s priorities.

Let me know if you’d like more detail about any phase of his life or career!