National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Nentawe Yilwatda, has described his predecessor, Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, as “Co-Chairman” of the ruling party.
Yilwatda made the remark in Abuja on Wednesday when Ganduje paid him a condolence visit following the death of his mother. He said he would continue to rely on the former Kano governor’s political experience, networks, and guidance to consolidate and strengthen the APC.
“My doors are open, the office is open, the partnership remains open, and the friendship remains open,” Yilwatda said. “President Bola Tinubu has asked me to work with you in partnership. I told him I would regard you still as a Chairman in partnership with me. You are still the Co-Chairman of the APC. I am only a coordinator; my duty is to coordinate the membership of this party. But the party belongs to all of us.”
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The APC Chairman also praised Ganduje’s long-standing role in Nigerian politics, noting that his experience dating back to the days of the defunct National Party of Nigeria (NPN) remains invaluable.
“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,” Yilwatda added.
In his response, Ganduje commended the cordial relationship between himself and Yilwatda, describing it as a model for healthy successor-predecessor ties in Nigerian politics.
“The problem between the successor and his predecessor has always been an issue in many states since 1999, not only in governorship, but in other political positions,” Ganduje said. “Our relationship is the beginning of solving that kind of problem, not only in the APC but in the wider atmosphere of democracy. I congratulate you on your new appointment.”
