Nentawe Yilwatda, national chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), has commenced a two-week vacation outside Nigeria to rest and “re-strategise” ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Gatekeepers News reports that Abimbola Tooki, special adviser to the national chairman on media and information strategy, disclosed this in a statement on Wednesday, describing the break as a response to an “exceptionally demanding and eventful first year” of Yilwatda’s tenure.
According to Tooki, the vacation is intended to enable the APC chairman to rest and rejuvenate after months of party engagements, consultations, travels and strategic activities.
Since assuming office, Yilwatda has focused on strengthening the APC and making it more electorally competitive through engagements with the national working committee (NWC), state governors, members of the National Assembly, state party structures, elected officials and other stakeholders.
Tooki said the party, under Yilwatda’s leadership, had organised and concluded its national convention, strengthened its internal structures and conducted primary elections at various levels ahead of the 2027 elections.
He said these achievements had further consolidated the APC’s position as Nigeria’s leading political party and one of Africa’s largest political organisations.
The presidential aide stressed that Yilwatda’s vacation should not be interpreted as a disengagement from party affairs but as an opportunity for him to step back from his daily responsibilities, recharge and reflect on the tasks ahead.
According to Tooki, the APC chairman would use the period to “rest, retool and further sharpen his strategic thinking” ahead of the 2027 elections, which he described as a defining moment for the ruling party and President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope agenda.
Yilwatda is also expected to use the break to consider the next phase of the party’s development and finalise preparations for the forthcoming NWC retreat.
Tooki said the retreat would allow members of the NWC to assess the party’s progress, identify emerging challenges and agree on strategies for the months ahead.
He assured that Yilwatda’s temporary absence would not disrupt the operations of the APC, noting that the NWC would continue to discharge its responsibilities in accordance with the party’s constitution and established procedures.
The APC chairman is expected to return to Nigeria at the end of the two-week vacation and resume his engagements with “renewed energy and focus”.
