The North-Central All Progressives Congress Forum has called on the party’s leaders in the region to meet with President Bola Tinubu to review the appointment of Professor Nentawe Yilwatda as national chairman. The Forum’s demand is in response to Yilwatda’s alleged opposition to Governor Caleb Mutfwang’s potential defection to the APC from the Peoples Democratic Party.
According to the Forum, Yilwatda’s actions are motivated by his own ambition to contest the gubernatorial election in Plateau State in 2027. The Forum claims that Yilwatda, who lost the 2023 governorship election to Mutfwang, is sponsoring protests and a media campaign against the governor’s potential defection. The Forum’s chairman, Alhaji Saleh Zazzaga, stated that Yilwatda’s performance as national chairman has been unsatisfactory and could negatively impact the region’s prospects for major appointments in the future.
The Forum has urged the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume, and APC governors in the North-Central region to interface with the Progressive Governors Forum to request a meeting with President Tinubu to review Yilwatda’s appointment. The Forum believes that Yilwatda’s actions are a violation of the party’s constitution and that he is prioritizing his personal interests over the party’s growth.
The North-Central APC Forum has also congratulated Imo State Governor Hope Uzodinma on his appointment as Director-General for Party Outreach, Engagement and Mobilisation. The Forum sees this appointment as a justification of their position that Yilwatda is not effectively discharging his duties as national chairman. The Forum has urged Uzodinma to leverage his new role to push for a review of Yilwatda’s appointment.
The situation has sparked controversy within the party, with the women’s wing of the APC in Plateau State holding a rally to reject Mutfwang’s potential defection. The North-Central APC Forum has warned that paying women to protest against Mutfwang’s defection could worsen insecurity in the state, as it may attract criminal elements who believe they have received large sums of money. The Forum has reiterated its call for Yilwatda to step down as national chairman and focus on his governorship bid, rather than leading the party into crisis.