UPDATED: Tinubu surrenders to North-Central as Yilwatda emerges APC national chairman

The agitation by stakeholders in the All Progressives Congress (APC) from the North Central zone for the exalted seat of National Chairman of the ruling party to be returned to the region finally paid off on Thursday as the Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction Minister, Professor Nentawe Goshwe Yilwatda, emerged as National Chairman at the 14th National Executive Committee meeting held at the Presidential Villa.

His “election” followed the adoption of a motion moved by the Imo State Governor and Chairman of the Progressive Governors’ Forum, Senator Hope Uzodinma. The motion was seconded by the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Honourable Tajudeen Abbas.

The APC governorship candidate in Plateau State in the last general elections replaced the former National Chairman, Dr Abdullahi Ganduje, who resigned last month.

There was a casualty at the party’s national secretariat following Yilwatda’s emergence, which has altered the party’s zoning arrangement. The Deputy National Secretary, Barrister Festus Faunter, lost his position due to the power dynamics within the party. Faunter is from Plateau State, the same state as the new National Chairman.

Professor Abdulkareem Kana from Nasarawa State, also in the North Central zone, assumed the role of Deputy National Secretary, thereby vacating his former position as National Legal Adviser, which was taken over by Murtala Aliyu Kankia from Katsina State in the North West.

Bukar Dalori from Borno State in the North East, who had been acting National Chairman following Ganduje’s resignation, returned to his role as Deputy National Chairman (North).

In his acceptance speech, Professor Yilwatda, who contested as the APC’s governorship candidate in Plateau State in the last general elections, promised to run an inclusive administration.

He said, “Let me express my profound gratitude to God and the leadership of the party—from the President, to the Governors, and the National Assembly members, all members of NEC—for the confidence and trust reposed in me to lead the party at this time. Let me thank you also for picking me among millions of members of this party, and that the party sees me as good enough and responsible enough to take this party to the next level.

“I do not take this mandate for granted. I want to accept it with gratitude, with my full heart and mind, to work together with you to build the party, knowing that all of us here are the mechanics of the party, and the party is our vehicle. We will all fix it and move it to our destination of choice.

“I pledge without hesitation that I will work with everybody in the party, unite the party, build the party, and expand the party with you as the focus and the building block. I will require your support to drive the party as needed by all of us, so we can fulfil the dream of Nigerians who have reposed their hope in the Renewed Hope agenda.”

At a separate session with members of the APC National Working Committee at the party’s national secretariat, the new National Chairman, who pleaded for their support, declared that the party’s national secretariat must at all times be on the same page with the Bola Ahmed Tinubu administration to redeem its electoral promises to Nigerians.

He said, “The trust that you have for APC and the Renewed Hope agenda of Mr President—we must ensure that we help the executive and the people of Nigeria. Like I said in my acceptance speech, all of us here, especially the National Working Committee, we are the mechanics, the party is a vehicle.

“We will fix it, we will drive it, we will work it, and ensure that we get to the destination of our choice. It’s our collective effort, and I’m sure that by the time we put our hands on the deck collectively, this party will be great—this party will be the joy and pride of the entire nation. That’s what I look forward to this party becoming under our collective leadership.”

In his remarks, President Tinubu tasked the APC Governors and the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, to put heads together towards the construction of a befitting, modern national secretariat for the party.

He said, “We should put a committee together of progressive governors to find an appropriate land and build in a secure area. I take that. I think we should do that.”

In apparent reference to the recent wave of defections into the APC, Tinubu advised the new Chairman to build a political party devoid of internal rancour. He specifically mandated him to establish a committee that would tour the country to facilitate the smooth registration of new members, especially recent defectors.

He said, “Our doors are still open and we should embrace them wholeheartedly. Those who have joined us should enjoy the registration and the membership of our party without any difficulty.”

Tinubu also used the occasion to showcase his scorecard, enumerating the achievements of his administration over the past two years. He maintained that under his leadership, the economy has stabilised despite the challenges inherited by his government.

He said, “I can report to you today that the economy you inherited, wobbling for years, is today stabilised, and we are making progress.”

He also declared that his administration has regained lost ground in the fight against insecurity and terrorism.

“Thousands of terrorists and bandits have been neutralised. The fear is going down, but we still have to be very, very serious, vigilant, and make sure that we put additional investment in our people,” he added.

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