The emergence of Prof. Nentawe Goshwe Yilwatda as the National Chairman of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has rekindled the contest between the North West and North East geopolitical zones for the vice presidential slot ahead of the 2027 polls, writes ADAMU ABUH from Abuja.

The choice of Prof. Nentawe Goshwe Yilwatda as the National Chairman of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has been widely applauded as a step in the right direction for the party ahead of the 2027 polls. Yilwatda, who replaced former governor of Kano State, Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, was until his emergence as the national chairman of the APC the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction.
 
The choice of Yilwatda, who lost the Plateau State governorship seat to Governor Caleb Muftwang of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2023 polls, was seen as an opportunity to appease the North Central geopolitical zone that had all the while insisted that the position should remain in the zone based on the zoning arrangement of the party.
 
The argument by party stalwarts pushing for the retention of the seat in the North Central zone was that since the zone delivered 1,760,993 votes to President Tinubu in the 2023 polls, more than the presidential candidates of the Labour Party’s Peter Obi and PDP’s Atiku Abubakar, aside controlling five of the six states, returning the seat of the national chairman to the zone is not a favour but consistent with the party’s zoning arrangement.
  
It was gathered that Yilwatda’s background as a Christian also played a decisive role in arriving at his choice since the party top echelon felt that there was a need to not only balance the power sharing equation but also to give a sense of belonging to the vast population of Christians aggrieved with the Muslim/Muslim ticket, particularly in his home state of Plateau.
  
Besides, Yilwatda’s antecedents as a distinguished academic and integrity when he held sway as a Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) placed him in good stead to clinch the enviable seat.
  
During his tenure, Yilwatda was said to have championed groundbreaking reforms, including policy amendments to the Electoral Act, the development of voting frameworks for Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) and People Living with Disabilities (PWDs), and the deepening of technology in Nigeria’s electoral system.
  
Party insiders maintained that Yilwatda’s pedigree would come handy as the party prepares for congresses and primaries in the lead up to the 2027 general election.
  
But for the insistence of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, supporters of former governor of Nasarawa State, Alhaji Tanko Al-Makura, who is of the defunct Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), would have had their way in having one of their own as the occupant of the exalted seat of the national chairmanship of the party.
  
The CPC bloc, which continually lays claim that they delivered the core northern votes that powered the APC to national victory in 2015, argued that since the Action Congress of Nigeria (CAN) bloc has produced the president and dominates the executive, it was only fair to compensate them with the chairmanship seat. They also pointed to Al-Makura’s history of party loyalty even when faced with intense pressure to join the African Democratic Congress (ADC) coalition bent on removing the President Tinubu-led administration in the 2027 elections.
  
Yilwatda’s emergence has also been regarded as an indication that President Tinubu  might still be looking the way of the North West geopolitical zone for the seat of the vice presidential candidate in the 2027 elections. Such postulations further gained traction after the push for Ali Bukar Dalori to remain as Acting National Chairman of the party till the conduct of the elective convention of the party by the end of the year failed.
  
A party chieftain who pleaded anonymity said: “For obvious reasons, they refused to allow Dalori to remain as acting chairman because Vice President Kashim Shettima is from Borno State. For me, it’s for strategic reasons. But nobody can say why the idea was opposed for now. There would surely be a lot of changes in the zoning arrangement of key positions as we move closer to the 2027 polls for sure.”
  
The latest development in the party promises to rekindle the surreptitious contest between the North West and North East geopolitical zones for the vice presidential slot ahead of the 2027 polls. While supporters of the vice president insist that he deserves to be retained having worked assiduously in ensuring the delivery of the Renewed Hope Agenda of the Tinubu administration, party stalwarts from the North West assert that they deserve to be well-compensated due to the decisive votes amassed by President Tinubu in the zone in the 2023 polls.
  
President Tnubu leapfrogged Atiku of the PDP in the North West, scoring 2,652,824 votes compared to his opponent’s 2,197,824. Not only were Atiku’s margins in some of the states narrow, Tinubu took an impressive half a million votes in Kano alone with the full support of the Ganduje-led administration at the time. Indeed, Tinubu got 30 per cent of his total votes from the North West; that is almost one-third.
  
Atiku, who is now a major backer of the ADC coalition, won the North East, his home zone, claiming all but Borno State, even leading PDP to victory in Yobe State for what was the first time since 1999. Tinubu won only Borno, where his running mate hails from.
 
APC North East stakeholders, which include Governors Babagana Zulum, Mai Mala Buni and Inuwa Yahaya of Borno, Yobe and Gombe states, while throwing their weights behind the Tinubu/Shettima joint ticket, recently, had assured of their unwavering support for and cooperation with the Tinubu-led administration.
  
The stakeholders contended that it would amount to injustice for the zone to be stripped of producing the occupant of the vice presidential seat in 2027 since the North West already have in its kitty the seats of the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the Deputy Senate President currently occupied by Dr. Abass Tajudeen and Sen. Barau Jibrin respectively.
  
A foundation member of the APC, Mr. Osita Okechukwu, who acknowledged that President Tinubu has the prerogative to nominate the chairman for the National Executive Committee’s endorsement, described Yilwatda as a broad minded administrator.
  
He called on the APC new helmsman to carefully read the manifesto and constitution of the party, asserting that a deep knowledge of both documents and their internalisation would enhance his adherence to the fine tenets of both guardrails and also help him to advice both Mr. President and the governors elected on the platform of the party accordingly.  He urged him to tread carefully during the forthcoming party congresses at ward, local council, state and national convention.
    
His words: “He should note that factions bedeviled APC’s electoral fortunes in previous elections in all the zones, which made Mr. President to score less than nine million in the midst of APC membership on record with more than 20 million members. For those members aggravated either abstained from voting or voted against us. So, reconciliation is necessary as we approach the 2027 general election.
 
“Also, he should find time to tour states and have personal knowledge of how fractious APC is in spite of the surface peace of the grave yard, especially in the South. Therefore, reconciliation will be his greatest handgun for success.
  
“One is of the considered view that he fits into the key qualities of a true progressive. A  just and fair minded chairman will reconcile factions, harvest APC’s numerical strength and spread so as to strengthen our great party and make the victory of APC at gubernatorial and presidential elections seamless in the 2027 general election. Finally, I pray he sustains Mr. President’s confidence, because I don’t think he worked with him before.”
  
Born on August 8, 1968, in Dungung, Kanke Local Council, Yilwatda hails from a lineage of service, being the son of the late Rev. Toma Yilwatda.
 From an early age, Yilwatda demonstrated a keen intellect and an unwavering commitment to excellence. He attended Boys’ Secondary School, Gindiri, where he laid the foundation for a lifelong pursuit of knowledge. His academic journey saw him obtain his first degree from the Federal University of Agriculture, Makurdi, followed by a Master’s degree from ATBU, Bauchi, and a doctorate from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, specialising in Electronic and Computer Engineering.
  
As a scholar, Yilwatda’s brilliance and dedication earned him a place at his alma mater, the Federal University of Agriculture, Makurdi, where he served for over 26 years. His expertise and leadership propelled him to the position of the university’s pioneer Director of ICT, a role in which he led transformative digital reforms that automated key institutional processes. His outstanding contributions earned him multiple accolades, including Best Staff of the Year and Best Director of the Year.
  
Beyond academia, Yilwatda has played a pivotal role in the digital transformation of Nigeria’s public and private sectors. His consultancy work spans multinational organisations and global development partners such as the European Union, UNICEF, the World Bank, and TECHVILE, U. S. His ability to merge technology with governance has made him a sought-after expert in digital innovation and policy development.
  
How he brings his vast experiences to bear on the APC as it seeks to consolidate its grip on power with victory in the 2027 elections remains to be seen.