The newly appointed National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Professor Nentawe Yilwatda, has opened up about his emergence as the party’s leader and how he intends to steer the ruling party through consultation, teamwork, and decisive but measured leadership.
Speaking on Politics Today, a programme on Channels Television aired Thursday evening, Yilwatda addressed questions about his calm and reserved nature and how he intends to handle the responsibilities that come with leading the APC, which currently controls more than 20 states and holds a majority in the National Assembly.
“Look at the body language of Mr President—soft, calm, and gentle. You can see where he is driving the country’s economy, taking tough decisions where people fear to even discuss,” Yilwatda said, referencing President Bola Tinubu as his model of leadership.
Pressed on whether he would take similarly tough decisions, he responded firmly:
“I will, because that’s what the President asked me to do, and the members asked me to do also. Take tough decisions, but with a gentle tone and also incorporate teamwork in it for collective interest in the party.”
He was quick to clarify, however, that such decisions would not be made unilaterally, noting that the APC’s National Working Committee (NWC) operates through collective input.
READ ALSO: UPDATED: Nentawe Yilwatda succeeds Ganduje as APC National Chairman
“It’s our party. It is all about consultation, because I am a coordinator of the national and the sub-nationals,” he explained. “We have very little job here to do, just coordination.”
Yilwatda, a former Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and an engineer by training, hails from Plateau State—an opposition-controlled state—yet secured his new role with broad support from party stakeholders, including governors.
Asked how he emerged without the political backing of a sitting governor in his state, he described the process as smooth and inclusive.
READ ALSO: Yilwatda promises bold moves, eyes more opposition govs
“You can see how exemplary APC displayed—very smooth, very mature, no controversy—because this party is built on consultation,” he said.
“Almost everything was done based on consultations. You consult, you discuss, because that is what politics is all about.”
He added that the party’s strength lies in its structure from the grassroots up, emphasising that real power rests with the wards, governors, and state party chairmen, while the national leadership plays a coordinating role.
Yilwatda’s appointment is seen by many as a strategic move to further stabilise the party and align it more closely with President Tinubu’s policy direction, particularly as the APC prepares for future electoral battles and governance reforms.
