The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Dr Nentawe Yilwatda, has said President Bola Ahmed Tinubu directed him to work closely with his predecessor, Dr Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, in the interest of the party.
Nentawe stated this on Wednesday when Ganduje visited him to commiserate over the death of his mother. He said his predecessor’s guidance and experience would be crucial to his success as party chairman.
Daily Trust recalls that Ganduje resigned on June 27 as APC national chairman under controversial circumstances, citing health challenges in a letter addressed to the party’s national secretary, Ajibola Bashiru. The APC National Executive Committee (NEC) later appointed Nentawe as substantive chairman on July 24.
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Speaking during the condolence visit, Nentawe said Tinubu had urged him to maintain a partnership with Ganduje.
“His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, has asked me to work with you, to reach out to you about partnership. I told him I would still regard you as chairman in partnership with me. You are still the co-chairman of the party,” Nentawe said.
He described his role as that of a coordinator rather than a sole leader, stressing that the APC belonged to all its members. He added that Ganduje’s political experience, dating back to the Second Republic, remained an asset.
“At that time, I was only in primary school,” Nentawe recalled. “By then, people like you had already mastered the ropes of politics. So, I need your experience, your guidance, your connections, and your contacts to solidify this party and build it together so that we can win more elections.”
In his response, Ganduje, a former Kano State governor, commended Nentawe for extending an olive branch and pledged support for his leadership. He said the cordial relationship between him and his successor should serve as an example in Nigerian politics.
“One important thing is that the problem between a successor and his predecessor is one of the issues APC has solved,” Ganduje said.
“Since 1999, such tensions have been common across the federation. Our relationship is the beginning of solving that kind of problem, not only in APC but in the entire democratic atmosphere.”
He congratulated Nentawe on his appointment and assured him of cooperation in building the ruling party ahead of future elections.