You caused APC loss in Plateau in 2023 – North-Central Forum knocks minister, Yilwatda

The North-Central All Progressives Congress (APC) Forum has blamed Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda, for the party’s defeat in the 2023 election in Plateau State.

The APC Forum spoke while reacting to comments made by Yilwatda on Arise TV on Friday.

It would be recalled that the APC Forum had faulted the minister’s response to the displacement of hundreds of people in Plateau State as a result of herdsmen attacks.

The Forum said the impact of the minister, who is from Plateau State, is not being felt in the crisis, while accusing him of failing to visit the affected communities and locations where the victims are taking shelter.

Responding in an interview on Arise TV, Yilwatda dismissed the North-Central APC Forum as an unrecognized entity and questioned the membership of the group.

Questioning the commitment of the Forum’s chairman, Alhaji Saleh Zazzaga, to the APC, Yilwatda accused the group of attacking him the same way it attacked other leaders of the party, including National Chairman, Abdullahi Ganduje and Secretary to the Government of the Federation, SGF, George Akume.

However, replying the minister in a statement on Saturday, the North-Central APC Forum said it was unfortunate that Yilwatda interpreted its advise on the humanitarian crisis in Plateau and similar issues in other parts of the country as an attack.

Insisting that its earlier statement was advisory, the Forum noted that Yilwatda’s refusal to take advice contributed to APC’s defeat in Plateau in 2023.

Yilwatda was the governorship candidate of the APC in the election but lost to Caleb Mutfwang of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.

APC also lost Plateau in the presidential election, as Peter Obi of the Labour Party won the state.

The North-Central APC Forum, in the statement signed by Zazzaga, said, “Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda said we attacked him. That is absolutely not true. As committed stakeholders of the APC in the North-Central, we advised him to put in more effort at addressing humanitarian challenges in the region, especially the displacement of thousands of people in Plateau, his home state.

“We felt it was necessary that we speak out because of the travails of our people who have been left helpless and hopeless, without any assistance, after being displaced from their homes.

We offered the advice because we understand that he is relatively new in the political system, so those of us who have been in the system for long felt obligated to help out in the way we can. It was an advice and not an attack as he wrongfully interpreted.

“APC lost the governorship election in Plateau State in the 2023 because Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda, as the party candidate, refused to listen to advise.

“One of the reasons APC lost both presidential and governorship election in Plateau was because he instructed his associates to vote for Labour Party in the presidential election.

“He wanted to take advantage of the Peter Obi movement, that was why his aides and supporters were saying vote for Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda and Peter Obi. If you check the records you will see that Peter Obi won in the polling units of all his major associates and aides.

In his own polling unit, ward and local government, APC won because he was contesting but he lost the election because he diverted the attention of his loyalists. That is why APC lost the governorship and presidential elections in Plateau State.”

The Forum said Yilwatda’s emergence as APC candidate in the 2023 governorship primaries did not reflect the wish of most party members, noting that he became the candidate because he was the choice of some party leaders in the state.

“Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda did not enjoy the wide acceptance of the people and this contributed to what happened in the election,” the statement observed.

The Forum stressed that it is a recognized entity in the APC, contrary to the minister’s claims.

The statement added, “The North-Central APC Forum has its structure in the entire region with membership cutting across various sectors. We have former senators and members of the House of Representatives, former commissioners, professors, activists, entrepreneurs, traditional and religious leaders and others as members.

“The Forum was registered since 2018, during the leadership of Senator Adams Oshiomhole. We have our certificate as a support group.

“Prof. Yilwatda said we attacked APC National Chairman, Dr. Abdullahi Ganduje and the SGF, Senator George Akume.

“To put the records straight, we did not attack Ganduje, rather we agitated for somebody from the North-Central to take up the position of National Chairman because as at then, the position was zoned to the North-Central.

We have no problem with Dr. Abdullahi Ganduje and Senator George Akume, as Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda wrongfully suggested.”

Chairman of the Forum, Zazzaga, in the statement, faulted Yilwatda for questioning his commitment to the party.

“Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda said he don’t know if I am a member of the APC. That is not true. He knows very well that I served as a member of the APC Presidential Campaign Council in the 2023 election.

“He himself (Nentawe Yilwatda) appointed me a member of the fund raising committee of his governorship campaign. The records are there. In fact I served in three committees of his governorship campaign. So there’s no way he can say he don’t know if I am a member of the APC or not.

Beyond Plateau State, at the national level, I have also served in different capacities for the APC. I was a member of the Presidential Campaign Council, I was a member of the governorship campaign council in Ondo State, I was also a member of the delegation from the national headquarters for the APC primary election in Anambra State. I was a delegate at the recent APC National Summit at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, where we endorsed President Bola Tinubu for a second term.

“They have tried to suspend me from the ward but they failed because the ward asserted that I am a full member of the party,” the statement said.

The North-Central APC Forum, in the same vein, withdrew the ultimatum it issued to the Rufus Bature-led executive committee of the party in Plateau State. The Forum had given the EXCO seven days to set up a reconciliation committee and also allow people from other political parties to join the APC in the state.

The Forum apologized for “misinformation and miscommunication” that led to the ultimatum.

The Forum, however, insisted that it would continue to push for Governor Caleb Mutfwang to join the APC.

“We will continue our agitation for Governor Caleb Mufwang to return to APC because he has more experience and acceptability in the political space of Plateau State,” the statement said.