Plateau APC Chapter at War with North Central Forum Over Governor Mutfwang’s Alleged Defection Moves

A significant internal conflict has erupted within the All Progressives Party (APC) in Plateau State, pitting the state chapter against the powerful North Central Forum of the party over recent moves to potentially woo the state Governor, Caleb Mutfwang, into the ruling party.

Dependable NG reports that the Plateau State chapter initiated the dispute during a recent stakeholders meeting held in Jos, which was attended by the governorship candidate in the last election, Professor Yitwalda Nentawe. During that gathering, the state chapter raised and adopted a motion explicitly rejecting Governor Mutfwang’s alleged move to join the APC from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

However, the North Central Forum of the APC fiercely reacted to the motion, publicly describing those opposing the Governor’s potential defection as political “paperweights” who demonstrated their lack of electoral capacity by failing to deliver the party during the 2023 general elections. In a statement issued in Abuja on Wednesday by its Chairman, Alhaji Saleh Zazzaga, the Forum, which includes members of the APC Presidential Campaign Council, asserted that the resolution passed by the Plateau chapter was motivated solely by “self-interest and insecurity,” rather than genuine loyalty or concern for the APC’s growth.

Zazzaga emphasized that it would be highly beneficial for the party at the national level if Governor Mutfwang were to join their ranks. He added that the national leadership of the party has been doing everything possible to convince the Plateau Governor to cross over to the ruling party, lamenting that a few individuals are standing in the way of these crucial efforts. The Forum questioned the motives behind the rejection, with Zazzaga stating, “It is not just about rejecting Governor Caleb Mutfwang. 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 in 2023.”

Zazzaga further emphasized that the majority of signatories to the anti-Mutfwang motion were individuals who lost their wards and local government areas to the PDP during the last polls but are now positioning themselves as kingmakers. He alleged, “They are chasing political appointments in Abuja, not the growth of the APC. The governorship running mate himself lost his ward. Only Professor Nentawe Yilwatda and our national chairman won their local governments for President Tinubu.” The North Central Forum insisted that Mutfwang’s entry would fundamentally transform the APC’s electoral strength in Plateau State and throughout the wider North-Central region, describing the PDP as a “drowning ship.” The Forum concluded by stressing, “We are pushing for people who can add value to the APC, not those clinging to influence without results. Governor Mutfwang has proven himself as a unifier and performer. Bringing him in is in the best interest of our party and the state.”