Chairmanship candidates of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the recently conducted Rivers State local government area elections have condoled with the National Chairman of the ruling party, Professor Nentalwe Yilwatda, over the death of his mother, Mama Lydia Yilwatda.
The candidates, who noted that they contested the last victorious election under the APC platform of the legally recognized State Working Committee in Rivers State, described the death as a profound loss that resonates beyond the immediate family to the entire Nigerian political arena and the nation at large.
“The candidates expressed their heartfelt condolences to the National Chairman, noting that the entire party and its candidates are mourning with him and the Yilwatda family of Plateau State at this critical time.
“Mama’s death leaves a collective grief for our political family and indeed the entire nation. She was a pillar whose wisdom, prayers, and guidance shaped the character of leaders such as her son, who today serves our people,” the candidates stated in a condolence message issued on Tuesday by their spokesperson, Ambassador Fubara Dagogo.
Dagogo described the late matriarch of the Yilwatda family as a devoted Christian, virtuous woman leader, and pillar of the Church of Christ in Nations, whose contributions alongside her late husband significantly impacted church growth across multiple states.
“Mama Lydia was a beacon of Christian faith whose devotion to God and service to the church left an indelible legacy. Her motherly advice and prayers were instrumental in shaping Professor Yilwatda’s character and leadership qualities.”
The statement prayed for God to receive her soul and grant her eternal rest, while also asking God to give the immediate family the fortitude to bear the loss.
The chairmanship candidates, drawn from the defunct legacy political parties that merged in 2013 to form the ruling APC—including the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), the Congress for Progressives Change (CPC), and the All Nigeria People’s Party (ANPP)—also commended the National Chairman for his recent successful medical outreach in Plateau State.