Defection: North-Central APC Forum insists on Mutfwang, rejects Plateau party leaders’ resolution
The North-Central All Progressives Congress Forum has rejected a resolution passed by leaders of the APC in Plateau State against accepting Governor Caleb Mutfwang in the party.
The Plateau APC leaders had at a stakeholders meeting in Jos on October 17, 2025, endorsed a motion, moved by former Deputy National Secretary, Barrister Festus Fuanter, which opposed Mutfwang’s possible defection to the APC.
“I move the motion against accepting Plateau State Governor Caleb Mutfwang joining the APC,” Fuanter had said. The motion was also unanimously accepted by the stakeholders
The development followed earlier calls by the North-Central APC Forum on Mutfwang to join the APC.
Reacting to the position of the Plateau APC leaders on Tuesday, the North-Central APC Forum, comprising APC stakeholders from the North-Central states, said those opposed to Mutfwang’s defection to the APC are doing so for selfish reasons, and in the interest of the party.
In a statement made available to journalists in Abuja by its Chairman, Alhaji Saleh Zazzaga, a member of the APC campaign council in the 2023 election, the North-Central APC Forum restated its call on Mutfwang to leave the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, which it described as a drowning party.
The Forum noted that its members in Plateau State were not invited to the stakeholders meeting where the resolution to block Mutfwang’s defection to the APC was passed.
Rather, it said the majority of the “so called Plateau APC stakeholders” who passed the resolution are individuals who could not deliver their polling units for the APC during the last election but are now positioning themselves for federal appointments in President Bola Tinubu’s administration.
The Forum specifically observed that the governorship running mate of the APC in the state in the 2023 election lost both his polling unit and ward to the PDP but is currently among those spearheading the opposition to Mutfwang joining the party.
Parts of the statement read, “It is not just about gathering to reject Governor Caleb Mutfwang. The real issue is who can win the governorship seat for the party? Among those so called stakeholders that gathered to reject Governor Mutfwang, only just a few are genuine, capable party members. It is not about selecting people from some ethnic nationalities for federal appointment. The question is are they going to deliver?
“For example, in the previous election the governorship running mate of the APC in Plateau State lost his polling unit and ward to PDP. He got 2,800 votes in his ward. PDP got 10,600. And now he is among the people that don’t want Mutfwang to come to the party.
“Are these people that relevant that you will trust them again? They did not vote for Tinubu, they voted for Peter Obi but now they are rushing to Abuja for federal appointment. It is only the APC National Chairman Professor Nentawe Yilwatda that won his local government for President Tinubu.
“We are agitating for people to come into the party and add value but they are opposing this course due to their own personal interests. We are still agitating for Governor Mutfwang to come to the APC because of the problems in the PDP. All those people that are rejecting Mutfwang cannot win their polling units.
“We want to collectively join hands to win Plateau State for Tinubu. It is not about interests at this moment. It is only when you win election that you start talking about interest.”
The North-Central APC Forum suggested that appointments and other rewards within the party should be based on performance in elections.
“Those rushing to Abuja for federal appointments should show the results from their polling units. In fact we promise President Bola Tinubu that after the next election we will publish the results from different polling units so that he will know who is who,” the statement added.
The Plateau chapter of the APC had attacked Mutfwang after the governor, during the weekend, said he was under pressure to join the APC.
The Plateau APC dismissed the governor’s claims, challenging him to name those who are mounting pressure on him to join the party.
However, coming to Mutfwang’s defence, the North-Central APC Forum said it was indeed true that the governor is under pressure to join APC.
According to the Forum, its calls on Mutfwang to come to the APC were backed by certain influential figures in the Presidential Villa.
“It is true that Governor Mutfwang has been under pressure to join APC. We can confirm this because some influential figures in the Presidential Villa are behind our calls on him to come to the APC. We will not relent until we convince him to do the right thing, in the best interest of Plateau State and also in his own interest,” the statement added.
