Politics
Nentawe Yilwatda: List of 9 APC National Chairmen From 2013 to 2025
The history of the All Progressives Congress (APC) dates back to 2013, following a merger between at least three opposition parties
In 2023, the merger paid off, and the APC ended the 16-year dominance of the PDP, but this would not have been possible without the party’s leadership
As Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda takes over as APC national chairman, Legit.ng highlights all the party’s national chairmen from 2013 to 2025
The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has been a significant powerhouse in the Nigerian political scene since its establishment in 2013.
APC was born out of a merger between three major opposition parties in Nigeria: the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), and the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP).
As a prominent political party, the leadership of the APC has seen several changes over the years, with Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda being the new sheriff in town
Bisi Akande (2013 – 2014)
The elder statesman and former governor of Osun state held the position of the national chairman of the APC briefly on an interim basis when the party was first formed.
He played a pivotal role in uniting various opposition parties to form a cohesive platform to challenge the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), the ruling party at the time.
Akande’s leadership set the foundation for the APC’s future success, and he is still a party member.
2. John Oyegun (2014 – 2018)
John Oyegun is the party’s longest-serving chairman since its formation in 2013.
Following the APC’s official registration as a political party in 2014, Oyegun became the first substantive national chairman.
Under his leadership, the party made significant gains, winning the 2015 general elections and forming the government at the federal level.
Oyegun’s tenure saw the APC’s expansion and consolidation of its position in Nigerian politics.
Today, Oyegun is part of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) coalition and has even gotten his membership card in his state of origin, Edo.
3. Adams Oshiomhole (2018 – 2020)
Oshiomhole, a former labour leader and Edo governor, took over the reins of the APC in 2018.
During his tenure, the party faced both successes and challenges. Oshiomhole’s strong-willed approach contributed to the APC’s victory in several state-level elections, but internal disputes and factionalism also emerged within the party.
This development led to his ouster as the chairman of the party.
4. Mai Mala Buni (2020-2022)
Mai Mala Buni was famously known for his caretaker role as the party leader following the controversies that led to the ouster of Oshiomhole, BBC reported.
Following the dissolution of the national working committee (NWC), Buni became the acting chairman and later became the substantive chairman after the party’s convention.
When he held the position, he was serving as the executive governor of Yobe state. His leadership has been marked by efforts to unite the party and enhance its electoral prospects. 5. Senator Abdullahi Adamu (2022 – 2023)
5. Senator Abdullahi Adamu (2022 – 2023)
Arguably, the most controversial of them all, Senator Abdullahi Adamu’s emergence as national chairman was laced with wranglings and reservations following his long-term affiliations with the PDP.
The Nasarawa-born politician once shared that he did not support President Bola Tinubu at the APC presidential primaries.
On Monday, July 17, 2023, reports surfaced that he had tendered his resignation letter from being the national chairman of the APC.
In December of that year, he quit politics.
6. Abubakar Kyari (July 2023 to August 2023)
After Senator Adamu’s resignation, the deputy national chairman (North) of the APC, Senator Abubakar Kyari, emerged as the party’s national chairman.
Channels TV reported that Kyari’s emergence as interim APC chairman was announced at a press briefing in Abuja on Monday, July 17, 2023. Kyari, who represented Borno North senatorial district in the 9th national assembly, presided over the APC NWC meeting that day.
7. Abdullahi Ganduje (August 2023 to June 2025)
Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, the present board chairman Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), served as the governor of Kano state from 2015 to 2023. He previously served as Rabiu Kwank
waso’s deputy governor twice, from 1999 to 2003 and from 2011 to 2015. He is a member and former national chairman of the ruling APC from August 2023 to June 2025.
8. Ali Bukar Dalori (June to July 2025)
A deputy national chairman (North) of the APC, Ali Bukar Dalori, replaced Ganduje as the national chairman of the Nigerian ruling party Ganduje’s resignation, which took effect on Friday, June 27, 2025, was confirmed by senior party officials in Abuja as his official letter cited health reasons.
9. Nentawe Yilwatda: APC chairman (July 2025)
On Thursday, July 24, 2025, Yilwatda emerged as the new national chairman of the APC, permanently replacing Ganduje, who stepped down. Yilwatda is a technocrat and politician with roots in engineering, governance, and party politics.
Until his appointment as APC national chairman, he was Nigeria’s humanitarian affairs minister.
A former House of Representatives aspirant under the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Mohammed Danjuma, has joined the All Progressives Congress (APC) ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Danjuma, popularly known as Garkuwa Babba, was the ADC aspirant for the Gombe/Kwami/Funakaye Federal Constituency and also served as National Chairman of the ADC House of Representatives Aspirants Forum.
He announced his defection after meeting with Gombe State Governor, Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya, at the Governor’s Lodge in Abuja, Naija News understands.
During the meeting, Danjuma declared his support for the APC and pledged to mobilize his political network and grassroots supporters for the party ahead of the 2027 elections.
He said he would support Governor Yahaya’s senatorial ambition, the APC governorship candidate in the state, Dr Jamilu Isiyaku Gwamna, and other candidates of the party.
Danjuma said his decision to leave the ADC was largely influenced by Yahaya’s leadership, performance and development record in Gombe State.
He praised the governor for what he described as tangible development across the state, saying his achievements had boosted confidence in the APC and reduced the appeal of opposition parties among voters.
According to him, joining the APC was a deliberate move to support continuity, stability and further development in Gombe State.
Receiving Danjuma, Governor Yahaya welcomed his decision to join the APC, describing the development as a major boost for the party.
The governor assured the new APC member and his supporters of an inclusive and united party, stressing the importance of unity, loyalty and collective effort.
Yahaya said the APC remained open to individuals and groups who shared the vision of a peaceful, stable and prosperous Gombe State.
He added that Danjuma’s political experience, network and grassroots reach would be valuable to the party.
The governor also urged APC members and stakeholders to remain united, saying the strength of the party depended on its ability to accommodate different interests while working towards the development of Gombe State.
“These men and women will carry the ADC banner and our commitment to offer Nigerians credible leadership and a real alternative,” the party said.
The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has released the names of its governorship and deputy governorship candidates for the 2027 elections in 28 states
The list, signed by the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, includes several prominent politicians and former public officials seeking to contest the poll.
“These men and women will carry the ADC banner and our commitment to offer Nigerians credible leadership and a real alternative,” Mr Abdullahi wrote in a post on X on Friday.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has scheduled the governorship elections for 6 February, 2027. It will hold alongside the state House of Assembly elections.
The remaining eight states hold their governorship elections outside of the regular election season as a result of previous court decisions. The eight states are Anambra, Bayelsa, Edo, Ekiti, Imo, Kogi, Ondo and Osun.
The presidential and National Assembly elections will hold on 16 January, 2027.
ADC governorship candidates
The candidates and their running mates are Kalu Agu and Alozie Darlington (Abia); Modibbo Ribadu and Aguwa Iliya (Adamawa); and Akpanudedehe James and Nsien Tommy (Akwa Ibom); Halliru Jika and Sama’ila Mohammed Kabir (Bauchi); Herman Iorwase Hembe and Abba John Abba (Benue); Babagana Buhari and Mamman Dauda (Borno); Nkoyo Toyo and OkwoChe Andrew Adagbor (Cross River; and Great Ogboru and Afiari Gloria (Delta).
Others are Ukpai Mba Udeh and Onwe Daniel Ede (Ebonyi); Ocho Obodeze Chukwuma and Eze Arinze Christopher (Enugu); Bala Bello and Bala Sani Isa (Gombe); Sabo Mohammed Nakudu and Musa Ya’u Balarabe (Bauchi); and Isa Mohammed Ashiru and Kantiok Irmiya Ishaku (Kaduna).
There are also Ibrahim Ali Amin and Shehu Abdulkadir Bari (Kano); Ahmad Baba Kaita and Aminu Yar’Adua Ahmed (Katsina), Abubakar Malami and Zagi Musa Mohammed (Kebbi); Zakari Mohammed and Olawuyi Julius Olayide (Kwara); Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour and Gbadamosi Babatunde Olalere (Lagos).
The list also includes Nuhu Angbazo and Ahmed Yusuf (Nasarawa); Mohammed Kpautagi and Musa Mamman (Niger); Biodun Collins Ogundipe and Muraina Oluwaranti Oluyemi (Ogun); Taofeek Adegboyega Adegoke and Wahab Adeniyi (Oyo); and John Sunday Sura and Pwajok-Kele Chundung Bitrus (Plateau).
The remaining candidates are Gabriel Pidomson and Okumgba David Amapakaye (Rivers); Manir Mohammad Daniya and Isah Bello Ambarura (Sokoto); Abubakar Umar Tutare and Kwetishe Haruna Kwenyan (Taraba); Kassim G. Gaidam and Kori Lawan Mohammed (Yobe); and Shinkafi Bilyaminu Yusuf and Muhammad Abdulmuddalib Auwal (Zamfara).
ADC performance in off-cycle elections
Since the ADC was adopted as the platform for the opposition coalition in 2025, it has struggled to make a significant impact in the three off-cycle elections held in Anambra, Ekiti and Osun off-cycle governorship elections.
In the 2025 Anambra governorship election, APGA’s Chukwuma Soludo was re-elected with 422,664 votes, defeating APC’s Nicholas Ukachukwu, who polled 99,445 votes. John Nwosu, the ADC candidate, finished fifth with 8,208 votes, representing about 1.4 per cent of the 584,054 valid votes cast.
In the 2026 Ekiti governorship election, the ADC candidate, Dare Bejide, finished third with 12,872 votes, accounting for about 3.4 per cent of the 375,777 valid votes cast.
In last month’s Osun governorship election, the ADC candidate, Najeem Salaam, came third with 1.7 per cent (17,180) of the 985,079 valid votes cast.
The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has described the exit of global ride-hailing brand Uber from Nigeria, alongside the shutdown or scaling down of operations by several major international companies, as further evidence that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s economic policies are turning Nigeria into a “graveyard of businesses.”
Naija News reports that global ride-hailing company, Uber, had announced the shutdown of its operations in Nigeria, bringing an end to a 12-year presence in the country.
The company said its services would cease in Nigeria from September 2, 2026, following a review of its business operations
Uber disclosed the decision in a statement issued on Wednesday, describing its departure from the Nigerian market as a difficult one.
Reacting in a statement on Thursday, ADC National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, said the growing list of businesses shutting down, scaling back or leaving the country exposes the widening gap between the government’s claims of economic progress and the reality confronting businesses and ordinary Nigerians.
The party said it was particularly astonishing that President Tinubu and his government were celebrating a marginal 0.2 percentage-point improvement in GDP at a time when businesses are closing, jobs are disappearing and millions of Nigerians are sinking deeper into poverty.
“Certainly, a 0.2% growth does not justify the extreme hardship that Nigerians are suffering,” the party said.
He argued that while the Tinubu government celebrates a marginal improvement of 0.2 percentage points, Nigeria’s poverty rate has snowballed to 63%, affecting an estimated 140 million Nigerians.
The ADC also asked President Tinubu to explain 0.2% GDP growth to the 140 million Nigerians who have sunk into poverty since he came to power; the workers who have watched the value of their salaries disappear; businesses that have struggled with energy costs; and millions who have been forced to reduce the quantity and quality of food on their tables.
“When the President and his party say things are getting better, we expect them to tell us what has improved in the lives of Nigerians. They should tell us how much food their “GDP growth” has put on the tables. They should tell us which bill it has paid. If 0.2% is a mark of success in their books, President Tinubu and APC should tell us what they consider as failure,” the ADC said.
The party said that Uber’s exit after twelve years in Nigeria reflects the increasingly hostile operating environment confronting businesses, particularly the soaring cost of energy and transportation, with the price of fuel rising by as much as 1,700% following the removal of fuel subsidy and devaluation of the naira.
“This is precisely why the ADC Presidential Candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, has proposed the restoration of a targeted fuel subsidy to bring down the cost of fuel, transportation and production,” the party said.
It also cited the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria’s earlier report that 767 manufacturing companies, including 20 iconic global brands, have shut down or ceased operations in Nigeria, while hundreds more are distressed since President Tinubu assumed office in 2024. It listed among the companies that have shut down or scaled down operations in the country to include Microsoft, Jumia and Bolt Food, Pick n Pay, Shoprite, GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), Sanofi-Aventis, Bayer AG, Procter & Gamble, Unilever and PZ Cussons, among others.
“Therefore, when the President announces that Nigeria has turned the corner, we wonder which corner he is talking about. If indeed the economy is improving, or the slightest hope exists in the minds of those who run these businesses that this APC government can improve the economy, why are they closing shop and moving elsewhere?” ADC asked, citing the example of GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), which it said shut down manufacturing in Nigeria after 50 years.
“The painful truth is that Tinubu has turned Nigeria into a graveyard of businesses. Every business that shuts down or pulls out is a vote of no confidence in the Tinubu administration and its capacity to manage the economy. Each exit delivers a blow to the economy. But perhaps, more importantly, each one represents a massive loss of jobs and increased poverty.
“Therefore, when the APC and its government celebrate even the most negligible shift in GDP numbers and flaunt that as evidence to show that things are getting better, they are immediately contradicted by the painful reality that Nigerians are getting poorer and hungrier. Those who had jobs yesterday are not sure how long it will take before their employers close shop, and those earning salaries are struggling even to transport themselves to work,” the party concludes.
ADC reiterated that its presidential candidate’s plan to subsidise the production costs of fuel to make it more affordable will bring down the cost of living, make businesses more profitable, and create jobs across sectors.
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