The Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Nentawe Yilwatda, has been sworn in as the new national chairman of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
Mr Yilwadta was inaugurated at about 2.50 p.m. following his adoption by the party’s National Executive Committee (NEC) at its ongoing meeting at the Banquet Hall of the Presidential Villa.
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Chairman of the Progressives Governors Forum (PGF) and governor of Imo State, Hope Uzodinma, moved the motion for his adoption. The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Abbas Tajudeen seconded the motion.
Mr Yilwadta, 56, replaces former National Chairman, Abdullahi Ganduje, who resigned on 27 June on health grounds.
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PREMIUM TIMES had reported that he was picked during a meeting between President Bola Tinubu and governors elected on the platform of the APC on Wednesday night.
The Motion
Moving the motion, Mr Uzodinma said, “Your Excellencies, distinguished party members, the future of APC is bright. The leadership of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu continues to inspire a renewed confidence in governance. Let us rally together in his support, renew our commitment and deliver on the promise of progress for every Nigerian.
“It will be a thing of joy for me take advantage of this moment to drive this composite motion that I, Senator Hope Uzodinma, governor of Imo State and Chairman, Progressives Governors Forum, that I want to humbly move the motion that the NEC approve the office of the national chairman of the APC to be zoned back from the North-west where it is now to the North-central geo-political zone; that the office of the national legal adviser of the APC be zoned back from the North-central where it is now to North-west geo-political zone, that the office of the deputy national secretary of the APC already zoned to North-central, be zone back to North-central zone; that Professor Nentawe Goshwe Yildatwa from Plateau State, North Central geo-political zone be nominated and be elected as the national chairman of the APC; that the current National Legal Adviser, Professor Abdulkareem shall now be the deputy national secretary of our great party; that Barrister Murtala Kogiya from Katsina State, North-west zone be nominated and elected as the national legal adviser of our great party; that in view of political activities going on in our great party, that the tenure of the office of the ward executives, LG executives, be extended to 31st day of December, 2025.
“The consequential adjustment as a result of the election of the new national chairman of the party will be midwifed properly and implemented by the NWC in proper consultation with the national leader of the party. I so move.”
Seconding the motion, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, said, “I, Abbas Tajudeen, member of the All Progressives Congress from ward of Zaria LGA of Kaduna State, hereby second the following motions, one on enumerated offices in accordance with the terms of the motion, nomination of Professor Nentawe Goshwe Yilwadta as the national chairman of the APC, filling of offices of the deputy national secretary and the national legal adviser in accordance with the new zoning arrangement, in accordance with the terms of the motion, extension of the tenure of the offices of ward executives, LG executives, state executives and zonal executives committees of APC in accordance with the terms of the motion moved by Senator Hope Uzodinma, governor of Imo State. I do hereby second.”
Mr Uzodinma, thereafter put the motion to a voice vote and there was no dissension. Mr Yilwadta was subsequently invited to take the oath of allegiance and the oath of office. The oaths were administered by a legal practitioner, Ogheneovo Otemu.
Messrs Abdulkareem and Kogiya were also sworn in.
Yilwadta accepts
In his acceptance speech, Mr Yilwadta expressed profound gratitude to the leadership of the APC, including President Tinubu, the governors, the National Assembly members and those of the NEC.
He said he did not take the mandate given to him by the party for granted.
“I do not take this mandate for granted. I want to accept it with gratitude and with my full heart and with my full 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 and we’ll 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, expand party with you as the focus and the building block and the support I will require to drive the party as needed by all of us so that we can fulfil the dream of Nigerians who have reposed their hope in the renewed hope agenda,” Mr Yilwadta said.
