Former Plateau State Governor Simon Lalong has said Nentawe Yilwatda’s appointment as the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) National Chairman will benefit the Bola Tinubu government.

Lalong, who led Plateau APC leaders on a solidarity visit to Yilwatda at the party’s national secretariat in Abuja, said the chairman’s experience as a former Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) would be an added advantage to the party.

The representative of Plateau South in the Senate criticised those against Yilwatda’s appointment. The ex-military officer said: “He has known the act of election because he has conducted several elections.

“When you talk about a party, you are talking about elections. What is it about an election that an electoral officer does not know? If he knows, it is an added advantage to this party.”

Lalong added: “Yes, it used to be that before you become National Chairman, you must be a governor or former governor.

“Gone are the days. We have seen people who are not former governors becoming national chair men of the party. “We have also seen some national chair men of the par ty, for mer gover nors, coming here for one reason or another. They didn’t spend time.

“They were put out. But in this one, I see a new trend. Our new trend is the gap between the old and the new.” He dismissed the potential threat posed by the new coalition under the African Democratic Congress (ADC).