OPEN LETTER TO PROF. NENTAWE WITH LOVE
19th September, 2025
Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda,
National Chairman,
All Progressives Congress (APC),
National Secretariat,
40 Blantyre Street,
Wuse II, Abuja.
Your Excellency,
CONSOLIDATING THE APC THROUGH UNITY, INCLUSIVENESS, AND STRATEGIC ENGAGEMENT
Greetings in the spirit of service to our party and nation. Having personally congratulated you when you assumed the exalted office of National Chairman of our great party, the All Progressives Congress (APC), I now find it necessary – out of love and loyalty to our shared cause – to write this open letter. My intention is not to criticize, but to offer sincere counsel.
- Background to My Intervention
Only a few days ago, you granted a radio interview in Plateau State, your home base and mine. While the platform provided a golden opportunity to project the strength, inclusiveness, and unifying vision of our party, the public statements you made against the incumbent Governor of Plateau State, His Excellency Barr. Caleb Mutfwang, unfortunately took a different turn. They came across as unsparing attacks rather than bridge-building outreach.
Given the political dynamics of Plateau and the unique role you now occupy as the National Chairman of our great party, I am persuaded that such a public confrontation with the Governor was neither necessary nor strategic. Our people are watching, and the impressions created by our leaders can make or mar the prospects of our party, especially as we move toward 2027.
- The Larger Mandate Before You
Dear Chairman, may I respectfully remind you that your foremost mandate is not only to administer the party from Abuja but to ensure that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu secures a second term come 2027. This requires that the APC consolidates its strongholds while breaking new ground in opposition-controlled states. To succeed, you will need to employ tact, diplomacy, and political accommodation at a scale never before attempted.
Your predecessor, Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, clearly understood this mandate. Under his stewardship, our party attracted sitting governors from the opposition into the APC fold, thereby strengthening our chances in key states. We saw the dramatic defection of Governor Ben Ayade of Cross River State, Governor Bello Matawalle of Zamfara, and the eventual alignment of governors in Akwa Ibom and Enugu with our party structures. These were strategic wins for the APC and invaluable assets to President Tinubu’s victory.
It follows, therefore, that you too must emulate and surpass this model. As National Chairman, your political horizon must transcend partisan rivalries within Plateau. Your responsibility is to consolidate APC nationwide, and to achieve this, you must be seen as a bridge-builder.
- The Case of Governor Mutfwang
Permit me to speak frankly. Governor Caleb Mutfwang is not your enemy, nor the enemy of APC. On the contrary, he is a Plateau son like yourself, a governor who has so far demonstrated goodwill toward President Tinubu. Let us not forget that immediately after your emergence as National Chairman, Governor Mutfwang was among the first to publicly congratulate you, a gesture of goodwill and statesmanship.
Moreover, from my personal observations at public functions, I can testify that Governor Mutfwang has spoken warmly of President Tinubu. He has praised the administration’s reforms, acknowledged federal support to Plateau, and welcomed the appointments of distinguished Plateau indigenes into critical national positions. These are not the actions of a hostile governor. If anything, they are indicators of a silent but steady alignment that could work in APC’s favor come 2027.
Chairman, let us recall the Rivers example. Former Governor Nyesom Wike, though of the PDP, not only supported but delivered Rivers State to President Tinubu in 2023. Today, he is playing a central role in the success of this administration. In a similar vein, Governor Mutfwang – if courted rather than antagonized – can become our Wike on the Plateau, helping to swing the state in favour of APC and the President’s reelection bid.
- Lessons From the Past
History offers us sobering lessons. During the tenure of the immediate past governor, Rt. Hon. Simon Lalong, internal crises within the Plateau APC were left unresolved. The party became factionalized, bitterness festered, and when the general elections came, APC lost Plateau comprehensively – from the governorship down to legislative seats. This collapse occurred even though Governor Lalong was the Director-General of Tinubu’s presidential campaign. It was an embarrassment we must never repeat.
Your current approach, if not carefully recalibrated, risks walking the same path. Fighting Governor Mutfwang publicly at this stage will not weaken him – it will only diminish APC’s prospects on the Plateau and by extension, the President’s reelection chances. Remember: Governor Mutfwang is still widely loved and respected across Plateau. An attack on him will be interpreted as an attack on the Plateau people, and that could shift sentiments away from APC at a time when the state is already showing positive leanings toward the President.
- What Should Be Done
Mr. Chairman, I humbly suggest the following corrective steps:
- Extend a Hand of Fellowship to Mutfwang: Pay him a courtesy visit as a Plateau brother and as a sitting governor who congratulated you. Begin by appreciating him for his support for President Tinubu so far. Such magnanimity will not go unnoticed.
- Project Statesmanship Over Partisanship: As National Chairman, rise above the fray of local rivalries. Be seen as the father of all, not just of one faction.
- Unite the Plateau APC: Heal the wounds left behind by the Lalong era. Bring aggrieved stakeholders together, restore trust, and rebuild structures. Without internal harmony, APC cannot win Plateau.
- Consolidate National Outreach: Just as Ganduje did, focus on wooing more governors into the APC fold. It is through governors that parties secure states, and through states that presidents are reelected.
- Protect President Tinubu’s 2027 Prospects: Above all else, let every word, every action, and every strategy you deploy as National Chairman be guided by the singular question: “Will this help President Tinubu win reelection?”
- A Word of Caution and Hope
Mr. Chairman, your recent remarks on radio were seen as divisive, and they created avoidable ripples across Plateau. But it is not too late to retrace and repair. Politics is dynamic, and every misstep can be corrected with humility and vision. The Plateau people are eager to rally around President Tinubu, but they must not feel alienated by the conduct of their own son who is at the helm of APC nationally.
Let us not squander this moment. Let us not, by carelessness, turn potential allies into adversaries. Let us, instead, build bridges that will last, and leave a legacy of expansion, inclusion, and victory.
- Conclusion
Prof. Yilwatda, this letter is written in love, with utmost respect for your office and for your person. I urge you to consider these points not as criticisms but as contributions from a loyal party man who is committed to the success of APC and the reelection of President Tinubu in 2027.
I remain convinced that with tact, diplomacy, and unity of purpose, you can lead APC into its strongest season yet. But this will only be achieved if you choose conciliation over confrontation, and strategy over impulse. Thank you for your time, and remain blessed sir.
Yours faithfully,
COMRADE Prince Miaphen ,
Coordinator, Renewed Hope Advocates of Nigeria