President Bola Tinubu derided the opposition African Democratic Congress (ADC) as a “coalition of confusion” during the All Progressives Congress (APC) 14th National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting held at the Presidential Villa in Abuja on Thursday.
The comment was made as Professor Nentawe Goshwe Yilwatda, the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management, and Social Development, was unanimously endorsed as the new APC national chairman, succeeding Dr. Abdullahi Ganduje.
Tinubu, addressing party leaders, dismissed the ADC-led coalition, which includes prominent opposition figures like former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and Labour Party’s Peter Obi, as a “desperate attempt” lacking ideology.
He urged opposition members to join the APC, stating, “It’s not a bad idea to abandon a sinking ship and be absent from a coalition of confusion.”
He highlighted the APC’s growth, noting that it now controls 23 states and recently welcomed Governors Umo Eno of Akwa Ibom and Sheriff Oborevwori of Delta from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Yilwatda, a former APC governorship candidate in Plateau State in 2023, was nominated by Imo State Governor Hope Uzodimma, with the motion seconded by House Speaker Tajudeen Abbas.
His appointment followed intense lobbying by North-Central stakeholders to reclaim the chairmanship from the North-West after Ganduje’s resignation on June 27, 2025, citing health reasons. Yilwatda, who took the oath of office at 2:50 p.m., pledged to unite the party and expand its reach, declaring the 2027 election “a done deal for APC.”
He likened the party to a vehicle and its members to mechanics, vowing to “fix it and drive it to our desired destination.”
The NEC also approved a reshuffle of the National Working Committee (NWC), with Professor Abdulkarim Kana moving from National Legal Adviser to Deputy National Secretary and Murtala Aliyu Kankia from Katsina State appointed as the new National Legal Adviser.
The tenure of ward, local government, and state executives was extended to December 31, 2025, to accommodate incoming defectors.
Tinubu emphasized grassroots engagement, urging APC governors to address poverty and deliver progressive change, stating, “Nigerians are still complaining at the grassroots.” He also called for revitalizing the APC’s Progressive Institute and forming NWC subcommittees to strengthen party activities.
The meeting observed a minute’s silence for former President Muhammadu Buhari, Alhaji Aminu Dantata, and Oba Sikiru Adetona.
The North-Central APC Forum hailed Yilwatda’s appointment as a victory for fairness, with Chairman Alhaji Saleh Zazzaga noting it resolved a two-year campaign to return the chairmanship to the region.
The Progressive Next Generation Initiative (PNGI) also congratulated Yilwatda, expressing confidence in his ability to drive reforms and promote youth inclusion.
Meanwhile, House Speaker Abbas described the ADC coalition as an “opportunistic” group lacking the ideological strength of the APC’s 2013 merger, urging the party to form a strategy committee to counter it.
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