APC To Officially Welcome Plateau Governor Mutfwang In January

According to Ireporter Online, the All Progressives Congress (APC) is set to formally receive Plateau State Governor Caleb Mutfwang into the party in January, following his defection from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

APC National Chairman Nentawe Yilwatda made the announcement on Monday, December 22, during a stakeholders’ meeting at the Crest Hotel in Jos, the Plateau State capital. He noted that Mutfwang’s defection had initially been disclosed at the APC’s 14th National Caucus meeting in Abuja last Thursday.

Addressing party members, Yilwatda emphasized that the governor’s entry would strengthen the APC’s presence in Plateau State, which he described as effectively becoming an APC stronghold. “The entry of Governor Caleb Mutfwang into the APC will further galvanise and consolidate our party. Plateau State has effectively become an APC state,” he stated. He also urged members to participate actively in the ongoing electronic registration exercise to become certified APC members.

Senator Simon Lalong, a former Plateau governor and current senator, praised the loyalty and resilience of party members, assuring them that they would continue to be respected and included in political decisions within the party. APC State Chairman Hon. Rufus Bature echoed this sentiment, stressing the importance of internal cohesion and respect for leadership decisions.

The meeting saw the attendance of several prominent figures, including Senators Diket Plang and I.D. Gyang, former Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives Alhaji Ahmed Idris Wase, Speaker of the Plateau State House of Assembly Naanlong Daniel, and other lawmakers and officials from across the state.

Earlier in October, the APC had reportedly voted against accepting Mutfwang into the party during a similar stakeholders’ meeting. However, the recent developments mark a reversal, with Yilwatda confirming Mutfwang’s formal entry last Thursday, which the governor publicly acknowledged the following day.

Governor Mutfwang revealed that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu personally encouraged him to join the APC. He explained that while he initially declined out of loyalty to his political convictions and the PDP, ongoing structural and leadership challenges within the PDP prompted him to reconsider. The governor noted that despite past political tensions, his administration had maintained cordial relations with the Tinubu-led Federal Government.