As President Bola Tinubu’s administration approaches its two-year mark on May 29, 2025, the North-Central All Progressives Congress (NC APC) Forum has raised alarm over the performance of the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda, citing what it calls a glaring absence of his impact in addressing humanitarian challenges across the country, particularly in his home state of Plateau.
Yilwatda, who hails from Plateau State, was appointed on October 23, 2024, during a cabinet reshuffle that followed the resignation of Senator Simon Lalong.
Lalong vacated the Ministerial position after the Supreme Court ruled in his favour and declared him the duly elected senator representing Plateau South.
The State remained without a minister for eight months before Yilwatda’s appointment.
However, barely seven months into his tenure, the North Central APC Forum says the high expectations tied to Yilwatda’s appointment have been met with widespread disappointment.
In a statement issued Sunday in Abuja, the Forum Chairman, Saleh Zazzaga said the Minister has failed to provide meaningful support to communities in distress, particularly those in the North-Central zone battling repeated violent attacks and displacement.
“As stakeholders deeply rooted in the grassroots, we observe with concern that the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction has not lived up to its mandate of supporting vulnerable populations.
“Hundreds of people have been displaced across Plateau and other North-Central states due to persistent violence, yet the ministry has not provided the needed relief or rehabilitation.”
The Forum decried what it described as the ministry’s poor response to the humanitarian fallout of recent attacks in Plateau State, where over 64 communities have reportedly fallen under the control of armed assailants.
Citing figures from the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), the Forum highlighted that 52 lives were lost and at least 1,820 people displaced during attacks between March 27 and April 2, 2025.
Despite the severity of the crisis, the group noted, the Minister has yet to visit the affected areas or engage directly with displaced persons, many of whom are currently sheltering in church buildings.
Instead, the Forum noted, it was the Minister of State for Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, Dr. Yusuf Tanko Sununu, who visited Bokkos Local Government Area in December 2024 following similar attacks.
“The absence of the Minister in his own state, at a time when people are suffering the most, is deeply troubling.
“This is not just a lapse in responsibility, it reflects a worrying level of detachment from the reality on the ground,” the Forum said.
The Forum, which played a leading role in advocating for the appointment of a replacement for Plateau’s cabinet position, expressed regret that Yilwatda has not lived up to expectations, warning that continued neglect of humanitarian duties would erode public trust in both the minister and the ruling party.
“People in Plateau State are asking questions. Many of them don’t even know they have a Minister,” Zazzaga noted.
The Forum went further to suggest that Yilwatda’s perceived aloofness may be politically motivated, as observers believe he may run again in 2027.
Newsworth24 reports that Yilwatda was the APC’s candidate in the 2023 Plateau governorship election, which he lost to PDP’s Caleb Mutfwang.
Though he secured a temporary victory at the Court of Appeal, the Supreme Court in January 2025 reversed the decision and affirmed Mutfwang’s election.
Governance should not be politicized, the Forum said, stressing, “Holding public office demands commitment to all citizens, regardless of political considerations. The welfare of the people must never be sacrificed for personal ambition.
”The Minister was advised to sit up and begin to play an active role in coordinating humanitarian responses, not only in Plateau but across all regions grappling with emergencies”.
The Forum stressed that the Humanitarian Ministry is central to the Federal government’s effort to alleviate suffering and that the country cannot afford leadership gaps in such a sensitive portfolio.
As President Tinubu reportedly considers a cabinet reshuffle to mark his administration’s second anniversary, the North Central APC Forum’s observation of Yilwatda’s performance could further intensify scrutiny on the performance of Ministers across the board.
Observers say the growing discontent over Yilwatda’s performance may signal broader frustrations within the APC’s regional blocs, particularly if Ministerial appointments fail to translate into tangible improvements in the lives of local constituents.
The Forum called for immediate action from the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction to live up to the responsibilities of his office, warning that silence and inaction are no longer acceptable in the face of deepening humanitarian crises.
