“Joining APC Amounts to Betrayal of My People” — Governor Mutfwang

Plateau State Governor Caleb Mutfwang has firmly denied reports suggesting he plans to defect from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC), describing such claims as baseless and a betrayal of the trust placed in him by the people of Plateau.

Speaking during a recent media chat, the governor said there had been no discussions or considerations about leaving the PDP, despite increasing calls from within the APC urging him to cross over. He dismissed the rumours as mischievous and unfounded speculation, pointing out that Plateau State has long been a stronghold of the PDP.

“I haven’t had that conversation with anyone. The media have speculated a lot, but nothing has happened,” he said. Mutfwang added that while some APC groups making the calls may be well-intentioned, the ruling party in Plateau has never enjoyed genuine grassroots support. “They’ve been in government by fraud for the past eight years,” he claimed.

Recalling the 2015 elections, the governor alleged electoral manipulation, saying, “We adjourned the collation at 8 p.m. to resume the next morning. But by 2 a.m., when I woke up to urinate, I found that the results had already been declared.” He also asserted that the PDP’s candidate in the 2019 elections, the late Jeremiah Usaini, was the rightful winner, but was denied victory due to “shenanigans in the system.”

Governor Mutfwang argued that many former APC leaders in Plateau carry a “trust deficit,” and that while some may hope to borrow credibility through defections, the political culture of the state does not support such moves. “The majority of Plateau people have always been PDP—and they remain PDP,” he said, noting that during the previous APC administration, some local governments avoided elections altogether out of fear of defeat.

Reaffirming his political allegiance, Mutfwang declared, “I am a bona fide member of the PDP. I remain so. And I’m very optimistic that very soon, the PDP crisis will be a thing of the past.” He stressed that his political path would always align with the will of Plateau citizens, stating, “Wherever Plateau people go, that’s where we go.”

Addressing concerns about internal disputes that led to the PDP losing all legislative seats in the last elections, the governor said the party has resolved its internal wrangling and is now united moving forward.