By Joseph Erunke, Abuja
The North-Central All Progressives Congress (APC) Forum has rejected a resolution by Plateau State APC leaders opposing the potential defection of Governor Caleb Mutfwang to the ruling party.
At a stakeholders’ meeting held in Jos on October 17, 2025, Plateau APC leaders had endorsed a motion moved by former Deputy National Secretary, Barrister Festus Fuanter, urging the party to resist any move by Mutfwang to defect to the APC. The motion, which was unanimously adopted, came amid reports that the governor was being courted by party stakeholders to cross over.
Reacting to the development, the North-Central APC Forum — an umbrella body of party stakeholders across the North-Central zone — accused the Plateau APC leadership of acting out of self-interest rather than genuine concern for the party’s growth.
In a statement issued in Abuja by its chairman, Alhaji Saleh Zazzaga, a member of the APC Presidential Campaign Council during the 2023 elections, the Forum insisted it would continue to woo Governor Mutfwang to join the APC, describing the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as a “drowning ship.”
According to the Forum, many genuine APC stakeholders in Plateau were not invited to the October 17 meeting where the anti-Mutfwang resolution was passed. It further alleged that several of those behind the motion failed to deliver their polling units for the APC in the last general elections but are now seeking political relevance and federal appointments.
“It is not just about rejecting Governor Caleb Mutfwang,” the statement read. “The real question is: who among these so-called stakeholders has the capacity to win elections for the party? Many of them couldn’t even deliver their polling units during the 2023 elections.”
The Forum cited examples, including the APC governorship running mate in Plateau State, who reportedly lost both his polling unit and ward to the PDP but is now among those opposing Mutfwang’s defection.
“They did not vote for President Tinubu; many of them supported Peter Obi. Yet, they are now rushing to Abuja for appointments. Only Professor Nentawe Yilwatda, our party’s national chairman, won his local government area for Tinubu,” the statement added.
Reiterating its call for Governor Mutfwang to join the APC, the Forum said the move would strengthen the party’s base in Plateau State and across the North-Central zone ahead of future elections.
“We are pushing for people who can add value to the APC, not those chasing personal interests. Governor Mutfwang has proven himself as a unifying leader. Bringing him into the APC is in the best interest of both the state and the party,” it stated.
The Forum also urged the APC leadership to tie political appointments and rewards to electoral performance, noting that “those seeking federal appointments should first show their results from their polling units.”
Meanwhile, the Plateau State APC had earlier dismissed claims by Governor Mutfwang that he was under pressure to defect to the ruling party, describing his statement as untrue and challenging him to name those urging him to join.
However, the North-Central APC Forum insisted the governor’s claim was valid, saying:
“We can confirm that Governor Mutfwang has indeed been under pressure to join the APC. Some influential figures within the Presidential Villa are in support of our efforts to bring him into the fold.”
The Forum concluded by reaffirming its commitment to convincing Governor Mutfwang to defect, insisting that his entry into the APC would mark a turning point in Plateau politics and bolster President Tinubu’s support base in the North-Central region.
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