The North-Central All Progressives Congress Forum has condemned a protest staged by some Plateau APC members in Jos on Saturday opposing the possible defection of Plateau State Governor, Caleb Mutfwang, to the party.
The Forum has been spearheading a campaign urging Mutfwang to leave the Peoples Democratic Party for the APC, arguing that his entry would strengthen the party ahead of the 2027 general election.
However, some Plateau APC leaders remain strongly opposed to his defection.
At a reception held in Jos on Saturday for new entrants to the APC, a group of party members demonstrated with placards rejecting Mutfwang’s anticipated move, insisting he should not be admitted into the party.
In a statement issued in Abuja on Sunday and signed by its Chairman, Alhaji Saleh Zazzaga, the North-Central APC Forum described the protest as undemocratic, stressing that no individual, including a serving governor, can be barred from joining a political party of their choice.
The statement maintained that welcoming the governor into the APC would be in the party’s best interest.
The Forum urged President Bola Tinubu to rein in Plateau APC leaders working against the governor’s defection, warning that it would report those obstructing the move directly to the President.
“The North-Central APC Forum condemns the actions of some Plateau APC leaders who mobilised supporters to parade placards rejecting Governor Caleb Mutfwang during Saturday’s reception for defectors in Jos.
“While reiterating our call for the governor to join the APC, we insist it is undemocratic and unconstitutional for any party leader to attempt to stop him or anyone else from joining.
“These individuals are acting not in the party’s interest but for selfish political reasons as they eye the 2027 elections. We are certain that none of them has the capacity to defeat Governor Mutfwang in any election, regardless of the platform he contests on”, the statement partly read.
The Forum appealed to Tinubu, as the party’s national leader, to intervene and also called on the Chairman of the Progressive Governors Forum to ensure Mutfwang is accommodated within the APC.
It argued that opposition to the governor’s move undermines efforts to secure President Tinubu’s re-election in 2027. “Our push for Mutfwang to join the APC aligns with our pledge to deliver six million votes to President Tinubu. Those resisting his entry are political amateurs who do not understand what is required to win elections,” the Forum added.
The group also criticised Plateau APC leaders for attacking it over its public appeal to Mutfwang, insisting it would not be intimidated. It issued an ultimatum to those opposing the defection to desist or face being reported directly to the President.
The Forum further urged former Plateau State Governor, Senator Simon Lalong, as leader of the APC in the state, to intervene and ensure the governor is given room to join the party.
It recalled that in October, it rejected a resolution passed by Plateau APC leaders at a stakeholders’ meeting in Jos opposing Mutfwang’s defection. The motion, moved by former Deputy National Secretary, Barrister Festus Fuanter, was unanimously adopted by those present.
However, Zazzaga stated that genuine APC stakeholders from the North-Central region in Plateau were not invited to the meeting. He alleged that most of those who backed the resolution failed to deliver their polling units in the last election but are now positioning themselves for federal appointments.
The Forum noted, for instance, that the APC’s 2023 governorship running mate in Plateau lost both his polling unit and ward to the PDP, yet is among those leading opposition to the governor’s entry into the party.
“It is not simply about rejecting Governor Mutfwang; the real question is who can win the governorship for the APC. Many of those parading themselves as stakeholders are not competent or committed party members,” the statement added.
The Forum insisted that those resisting the governor’s entry lack electoral value, as demonstrated by their inability to deliver their polling units. It maintained that the priority should be uniting to secure victory for President Tinubu in 2027 rather than pursuing personal interests.
The North-Central APC Forum had earlier stated that its campaign for Mutfwang to join the APC is endorsed by influential figures within the presidency.
