2027: Plateau Governor’s Move to APC in Party’s Best Interest, Says Forum

The North-Central All Progressives Congress (APC) Forum has criticised a protest by some party members in Jos opposing the potential defection of Plateau State Governor, Caleb Mutfwang, to the APC.

The Forum, which has been leading efforts to persuade the governor to leave the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the APC, described the protest as undemocratic and detrimental to the party’s future.

During an APC reception for new defectors in Jos on Saturday, a group of party members staged a demonstration, carrying placards declaring that Governor Mutfwang should not be admitted into the APC.

Reacting in a statement issued in Abuja on Sunday, the Forum, led by Chairman Alhaji Saleh Zazzaga, insisted that welcoming Mutfwang into the APC ahead of the 2027 general election would strengthen the party. It urged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to caution Plateau APC leaders who are resisting the governor’s entry.

“The North-Central APC Forum condemns the actions of some Plateau APC leaders who mobilised supporters to display placards opposing Governor Mutfwang’s entry into the APC,” the statement read. “It is undemocratic and unconstitutional to stop anyone, including a serving governor, from joining a political party of their choice.”

The Forum alleged that those resisting Mutfwang’s defection were motivated by personal political ambitions, not the party’s interest.

“They don’t want him in the party simply because they plan to run in 2027. Yet none of them has the capacity to defeat Mutfwang in any election,” the statement added.

The Forum also appealed to President Tinubu and the Chairman of the Progressive Governors’ Forum to intervene so that Mutfwang could be integrated into the party’s structure.

It warned that opposing the governor’s entry amounted to undermining Tinubu’s re-election prospects in 2027.

“Encouraging Governor Mutfwang to join the APC aligns with our commitment to deliver six million votes to President Tinubu in 2027. Those resisting his entry clearly don’t share this commitment,” the Forum said.

The group further threatened to send a formal petition to the President, listing the names of individuals “working against the progress of the party” in Plateau State.

It also called on former Governor Simon Lalong, recognised as the leader of the APC in Plateau, to intervene and create space for Mutfwang within the party.

The controversy began in October when Plateau APC leaders passed a resolution rejecting Mutfwang’s potential defection. The motion, moved by former Deputy National Secretary Festus Fuanter, was unanimously adopted at a stakeholders’ meeting in Jos.

However, the Forum argued that its members were excluded from that meeting. It accused the stakeholders of being individuals who failed to deliver their polling units in past elections but are now positioning themselves for federal appointments.

It also noted that the APC’s 2023 governorship running mate, who lost his polling unit and ward to the PDP, was among those opposing the governor’s entry into the party.