The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Nentawe Yilwatda, has pledged to lean on the wealth of experience and political networks of his predecessor, Abdullahi Ganduje, in steering the affairs of the ruling party.
Yilwatda made this known on Wednesday during Ganduje’s condolence visit over the death of his mother in Abuja. He disclosed that President Bola Tinubu had personally instructed him to work closely with Ganduje in the collective interest of the APC.
“I am only a coordinator. My duty is simply to coordinate the membership of this party. But the party belongs to all of us. We are all collective leaders of the party. Moreover, by experience and by virtue of politics, you have been there long before me,” Yilwatda said.
The APC Chairman recalled that Ganduje had been active in politics since the Second Republic, at a time when he was still a student.
“Since the time of the NPN, you have been part of the political scene. At that time, I was only in primary school. I recall that we used to see Governor Rimi come to Jos in the 70s and 80s to visit Solomon Lar. One day, he came to inaugurate a project at my school. I was just in Form 2, waving at them along with my classmates; I never knew what politics truly meant. By then, people like you had already mastered the ropes of politics, while we didn’t even know the definition of politics.
“So I need your experience. I need your guidance. The learning curve still rests with you. I will depend heavily on your experience, your connections, and your contacts to ensure we solidify this party and build it together, so that we can win more elections.”
Ganduje, who resigned as APC National Chairman on June 27, citing ill health, was replaced by Yilwatda following the ratification of his appointment by the National Executive Committee on July 24.
In his response, Ganduje welcomed Yilwatda’s approach, describing it as a new model of leadership that could help the APC avoid the usual rivalry between political successors and their predecessors.
“One important thing is that the problem between a successor and his predecessor is one of the issues that APC has solved,” Ganduje said.
“In order to show examples, I am sure you know that since 1999, the problem between former governors and their successors has always been an issue up till now in many states of the federation. Not only in governorship, but in other positions, especially in politics.
“So our relationship is the beginning to solve that kind of problem. Not only in APC but in the whole atmosphere of democracy. I have to congratulate you for this new appointment.”
This development, according to a 9am News report, highlights the party’s effort to build unity and strengthen internal structures ahead of future elections.
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