The emergence of Prof. Nentawe Goshwe Yilwatda as the Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), till December came not with a little surprise to many Nigerians. But much as Nigerians do not doubt his competence, observers believe the party is not only experimenting, but exploiting his experience as a former INEC commissioner writes JOHNCHUKS ONUAYIM

The appointment of the former Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, Prof. Nentawe Goshwe Yilwatda, as the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), last Thursday, at the 14th National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting held at the Presidential Villa, underlined the sustained agitation by stakeholders in the was another experiment being carried out by the progressive party to endear itself to the hearts of Nigerians. The Yilwatda was appointed by the President, Bola Ahmed Tinubu to assuage the Christian faith in the APC and the country at large.

With the appointment of Yilwatda APC from the North Central, the seat of national chairman of the ruling party was returned to the region. Also, Professor Abdulkareem Kana from Nasarawa State in same North-Central takes the position of Deputy National Secretary as he lost his position as National Legal Adviser to Murtala Aliyu Kankia from Katsina State in North-West.

Before President Tinubu Presidency, there had been an understanding that power should be shared between the Christians and Muslims both at the Presidency level and political parties. In the design of an unwritten APC constitution, should there be a Christian National Chairman, the Secretary would be a Christian and should there be Muslim Presidential candidate, the Vice should be a Christian.

By way of hindsight, when Chief Bisi Akande was the interim National Chairman, the Secretary was Muslim. The same was with Chief John Odigie-Oyegun and Adams Oshiomhole. They all had Muslims as National Secretary. Also, when the governor of Yobe State, Mai Mala Buni, came as Chairman Caretaker Committee in 2020 and he had a Christian as secretary.

In 2022, APC held its national convention, where the former governor of Nasarawa State, Senator Abdullahi Adamu, emerged as national and he had the former Deputy governor of Osun State, Senator Iyiola Omisore as the National Secretary.

This process was distorted by President Tinubu when in August 2023, he removed the APC National Chairman and Secretary, Abdullahi Adamu and Iyiola Omisore and brought in former governor of Kano State, Alhaji Abdullahi Ganduje, a Muslim and Senator Bashiru, another Muslim – the first time APC had National Chairman and National Secretary Muslim-Muslim.

Of concern to many is that in 2023, the zone arrangements were uttered for the North Central, as the National Chairmanship was taken away from them and sent to North-West. Since that distortion, the North Central had been in agitation that the National Chairmanship should be restored back to the zone. Many APC groups from the zone came up to agitate for the restoration of the National Chairman to the zone.

At the time of this agitation and from 2022, the most favoured National Chairmanship candidate for the APC was the former governor of Nasarawa State, Senator Tanko Al-Makura. Al-Makura was to replace Governor Buni in 2022, but it was alleged that the former Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi and the former governor of Kaduna State, Nasiru El-Rufai were not comfortable with Al-Makura.

Al-Makura (Nasarawa), Senator Sani Musa (Niger) and Senator Salisu Mustapha (Kwara) were the leading candidates for the APC National Chairmanship in 2022. The former governor of Nasarawa State candidature was more favoured until El-Rufai and Amaechi decided to intervene, looking for who can confront Tinubu. It was alleged that they reported to late President Muhammadu Buhari that Al-Makura was close to Tinubu and would not resist his Presidential ambition. It was the need to resist Tinubu’s Presidential ambition that Al-Makura ambition to lead APC was scuttled and Abdullahi Adamu was brought in.

When it was announced that Abdullahi Adamu was going to be dropped in 2023 after the general elections, many from the North Central and from the defunct Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), felt that the mantle would fall on Senator Tanko Al-Makura, the only former governor elected on the platform of one of the legacy parties. He was expected to be brought on board of APC leadership. However, that expectation was also not met as Tinubu compensated the former governor of Kano State, Abdullahi Ganduje, who could not make the ministerial list in 2023, with the APC National Chairmanships position.

Observers believe that one fundamental error made at that time was the dropping of the National Secretary, Iyiola Omisore, and bringing in Senator Shehu Basiru, a Muslim, as the National Secretary with Ganduje as National Chairman.

The choice of Ganduje and Basiru as APC National Chairman and National Secretary brought more agitation in the party for religious balancing. Many started seeing and referring to the APC as a Muslim party.

The belief was not far-fetched as the disparity of the structures of the Muslims Mosque and Christian chapel at the APC National Secretariat depict that also. This was later complicated by the emergence in the elections of Muslim-Muslim presidential ticket in the party, in the person of Tinubu and Kashim Shetimma.

Regional balanace

The coming of the new APC National Chairman, many have said is a departure from the old order where a former governor was more favoured to occupy such position. Besides, it has been described as a way of reflecting national character and settle some aggrieved members of the party.

For instance, Aliyu Audu, who until recently, was a Senior Special Assistant to the President Tinubu gave reasons for his resignation and commented on lack of internal democracy in the APC. He wondered why Ganduje, for the North West which produced the Deputy Senate President, remained the chairman of the party.

He said Tinubu “has to ensure internal democracy is entrenched in the APC starting with the removal of Ganduje who he imposed on us. For the past two years that position belonged to the North Central where I am from and Ganduje is from North-West.

“The leadership of the National Assembly could have gone round the six geo-political zones. We have the Senate and Deputy Senate President, Speaker and Deputy Speaker, then you bring the executive that is the President and the Vice.

“These positions should have been shared round the geo-political zones, but you know the President is from South-West, Vice is from the North-East, Senate President from South-South, Deputy is from North-West as well as the Speaker of the House of Reps and nothing for the North Central. The chairmanship position meant for the North Central by right and has been given to a North-West person. Any leader that does not practice fairness no matter how intelligent or powerful should not be in the driver’s seat.” Shortly thereafter, Ganduje resigned his appointment.

Of huge importance is the record of the new chairman. According to party members, beyond the fact that the choice of Yilwatda was based on Christian religion, some also are saying that it has to do with the fact that he has no corruption baggage.

Yilwatda, who was the APC governorship candidate in 2023 in Plateau State was also an INEC Resident Commissioner in Benue State in the past. Though his assignment in INEC has been considered a minus to his position. “How can somebody who was an INEC appointee in the past be our National Chairman,” a party member said.

Further, the APC member said that the international community would not take us serious as a political party for the fact that we appointed an INEC appointee as our National Chairman. They would believe that the reason was to compromise the Independent National Electoral Commission.

The opposition party also would use it as a strong campaign issue against our party that we appoint our party members in the Electoral Commission.

“Already people are alleging that the Presidency wants to appoint somebody from the Imo State governor, Senator Hope Uzodinma as the INEC Chairman. Such an appointment would be highly criticized because it would be believed that the person is a card-carrying member of the party. Our party should give Nigerians the reason to trust them by dissociating itself from some certain things in the party administration.”

Contrary to the above position, some other persons see Yilwatda appointment as APC national chairman as the best for the party. “He is the only person for now who does not have corruption baggage hanging on his neck. He is also a Christian and would be able to galvanize the Christian folds in the North Central and outside the North Central.

“As a former governorship candidate of the party, he commands respect in the party to a large extent that party members would listen to him. All he needs to succeed is the loyalty of party members. From the President to the list person in the party.”

The appointment of Yilwatda as APC National Chairman would be tested in a few months when the party would commence its State and zonal congresses, and the off-season elections. APC as a ruling party faces challenges when the tickets of the party are being sought by members. Most times, the tickets for whatever position are said to be transactional. This might also be a banana peel for the National Chairman.