The All Progressives Congress (APC) has come out strongly in defence of its newly appointed national chairman, Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda, following a wave of backlash from opposition parties and public critics over his past involvement with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
Yilwatda, who most recently served as the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, officially emerged as the APC national chairman during the party’s National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting held on Thursday, July 24, 2025, at the Presidential Villa in Abuja. He replaces Dr Abdullahi Ganduje, who resigned on June 27 due to health challenges.
The opposition, however, is not taking the announcement lightly. Concerns have been raised about Yilwatda’s previous role as INEC’s Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in Benue State between 2017 and 2021.
Critics argue that Yilwatda’s elevation to the ruling party’s highest office casts doubt on the impartiality of INEC and the integrity of upcoming elections, particularly the 2027 general polls.
Diran Odeyemi, a member of the National Executive Committee of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), said, “This appointment has again exposed who Prof Yilwatda is. He has APC DNA, which raises serious concerns about his neutrality in his previous assignments, through which he got the new appointment as APC national chairman. This again raises the question of how truly independent INEC is.
“Let’s hope his contemporaries are not in charge of our elections in Nigeria, or can we rightly conclude that election results have been pronounced with the announcement of his name as their new chairman?”
The Young Progressives Party (YPP) echoed similar concerns, although it focused more on systemic reforms than personalities. Its National Publicity Secretary, Wale Egbeola-Martins, stated,
“While the concerns raised are understandable, the Young Progressives Party believes that the broader and more pressing issue lies in the urgent need to reform Nigeria’s electoral laws.
“The credibility of our democratic process cannot hinge solely on individuals or their past affiliations but must be built on strong, transparent, and enforceable electoral frameworks.
“Once our electoral laws are thoroughly reformed and institutionalised, fears of undue influence, whether real or perceived, will be significantly minimised.
“Strengthening legal safeguards around the electoral process is the surest way to inspire public confidence and ensure that elections truly reflect the will of the people, regardless of who occupies party leadership positions. For us, the focus should be on systemic integrity, not personalities.”
Adding his voice to the criticism, Peter Ameh, National Secretary of the Coalition of United Political Parties (CUPP), described the appointment as a threat to Nigeria’s democratic integrity.
“The recent appointment of Prof Nentawe Yilwatda, a former REC of INEC, as the national chairman of the APC should spark widespread concern about the independence of Nigeria’s electoral system and the health of its democracy.
“This development, confirmed on July 24, 2025, during the APC’s National Executive Committee meeting, raises serious questions about the impartiality of INEC, the integrity of Nigeria’s electoral processes, and the ruling party’s commitment to upholding democratic principles.
“The decision to elevate an individual with recent ties to INEC to such a prominent political position is not merely a political manoeuvre; it represents a deliberate erosion of the institutional safeguards that ensure free and fair elections in Nigeria.
“The appointment of a former REC as the APC’s national chairman, barely three years after his tenure at INEC, creates a perception of compromised neutrality and undermines public confidence in the electoral body.”
When asked to elaborate on the threat posed by Yilwatda’s appointment, Ameh added, “Yilwatda served as an REC in Benue State from 2017 to 2021, a role that required him to embody impartiality and oversee elections with fairness.
“His subsequent involvement in partisan politics, including his candidacy in the APC’s 2022 governorship primary in Plateau State and his role as the state coordinator for the Tinubu/Shettima campaign organisation in 2023, raises serious concerns about the potential politicisation of INEC.
“The transition from a supposedly neutral electoral official to a high-ranking position within the ruling party suggests a troubling overlap between electoral administration and partisan politics.
“This move fuels suspicions that INEC’s independence may be vulnerable to infiltration by political actors, casting doubt on the fairness of past and future elections.”
In response to these concerns, the APC’s Director of Publicity, Bala Ibrahim, dismissed the criticisms, describing them as baseless and politically motivated.
“Is INEC a cult? Are political parties not engaging former INEC staff as advisers or consultants to work for them? There is nothing wrong with someone who worked somewhere before working for a political party.
“Who says a retired coach cannot be an adviser to a team? Are we saying a retired police officer cannot work as a security consultant in another organisation?”
Defending the party’s decision further, Ibrahim said, “Our national chairman was an ex-staff member of INEC, but he does not have access to any of the umpire’s facilities.
“His knowledge of INEC can help the party (APC) to avoid anything that can be a disadvantage to it.”
He also urged opposition parties to engage former INEC officials if they believe it could improve their political operations.
Yilwatda, an engineer and former lecturer at the Federal University of Agriculture, Makurdi, previously contested the 2023 Plateau State governorship election under the APC platform. Though he won initially at the tribunal and Court of Appeal, the Supreme Court ultimately ruled in favour of Governor Caleb Mutfwang.
