Barring any last-minute changes, the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda, is expected to be named the new national chairman of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

Multiple sources within the party hierarchy told Daily Trust on Wednesday night that Yilwatda has emerged as the frontrunner to succeed Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, who resigned amid mounting internal party pressure.Yilwatda, a former governorship candidate in Plateau State, is seen by many as a unifying figure capable of steering the APC through its current political turbulence ahead of the 2027 general elections.

However, some insiders disclosed that a former governor of Nasarawa State, Senator Umaru Tanko Al-Makura, is also being considered as a potential alternative. Al-Makura, a founding member of the APC, is believed to have the backing of some northern political blocs within the party.

The National Executive Committee (NEC) of the APC is expected to formalize the appointment later today during a high-stakes meeting in Abuja.

A party source said: “There is strong consensus around Prof. Yilwatda, especially given his background in governance and his technocratic profile. But politics is dynamic, and anything can happen at the last moment.”

The APC has been under pressure to quickly resolve its leadership vacuum as internal disagreements and regional interests continue to test party unity.