President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and First Lady Senator Oluremi Tinubu have thrown their weight behind the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Professor Nentawe Yilwatda, as the All Progressives Congress (APC) prepares to name a new national chairman.
POLITICS NIGERIA understands that Yilwatda, a former APC governorship candidate in Plateau State, has emerged as the frontrunner in a shortlist that has now narrowed to two. The other contender is former Nasarawa State governor and serving senator, Umaru Tanko Al-Makura.
With just hours to the party’s crucial National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting, insiders say growing momentum within the APC favours Yilwatda, whose candidacy is said to have the endorsement of both the presidency and a majority of APC governors.
Yilwatda was said to have gotten the endorsement on Wednesday night.
Party loyalists have cited the need to return the chairmanship to the North Central region, originally earmarked for the role before the controversial selection of former Kano State governor Abdullahi Ganduje. Ganduje resigned earlier this month following sustained pressure from within the party.
“The body language of President Tinubu has given Nentawe a significant edge,” said a top official at the APC national secretariat. “From the National Working Committee to the Villa, many believe Nentawe is the man to beat.”
“Even the First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, is said to be backing Nentawe (Yilwatda), which many see as a strong indication of presidential support,” another source noted.
Yilwatda, a Christian from the Middle Belt, is seen as a politically strategic choice for the APC amid ongoing concerns about the Muslim-Muslim leadership of President Tinubu and Vice President Kashim Shettima. His appointment, sources say, is part of efforts to rebalance the party’s power structure and appease discontented North Central stakeholders.
His main rival, Senator Al-Makura, remains a strong fallback option, particularly among some Northern blocs. However, sources close to the presidency insist that the president is keen on securing a loyal party chair who will help consolidate his political base ahead of the 2027 elections.
The acting national chairman, Ali Bukar Dalori, who stepped in following Ganduje’s resignation, is reportedly considered too closely aligned with Vice President Shettima.
“He is from Borno State, the same state as Vice President Shettima,” one source said. “And beyond that, there is no time to keep playing to the gallery. The president and the APC want to resolve the chairmanship issue once and for all.”
Others who were previously considered for the role include Senator Sani Musa (Niger), Senator Salihu Mustapha (Kwara), former Plateau governor Joshua Dariye, SGF George Akume, and Senator Abu Ibrahim (Katsina). However, all appear to have fallen behind in what now seems a two-horse race.
Yilwatda was reportedly on a humanitarian mission in Niger State, responding to flood victims, when he was urgently summoned to Abuja for consultations, cancelling a planned visit to another state.
“Unless something dramatic happens in the next few hours, Nentawe (Yilwatda) will be crowned APC chairman,” a close associate said. “He is the president’s choice and enjoys support from key players. But as you know, politics is unpredictable.”