Caleb Mutfwang, the governor of Plateau State, has been hailed by the North-Central All Progressives Congress (APC) Forum for “heeding” their appeal to leave the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and join the APC.
Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda, the national chairman of the APC, formally acknowledged Muftwang’s defection on Thursday night during the party’s 14th national caucus meeting, which took place at the State House Conference Center in Abuja.
The North-Central APC Forum, which has been pushing for Muftwang to join the APC for more than a year—since April 2024—reacted to the development on Friday in a statement by its Chairman, Alhaji Saleh Zazzaga. The forum welcomed the Plateau governor to the party and promised him all necessary support.
According to the Forum’s statement, Muftwang has told all of his assistants to accompany him to the APC.
The Forum noted that the North-Central is currently the only region in the nation with six APC governors, calling the governor’s defection “historic” and “strategic.”
“The North-Central APC Forum is pleased to report that our campaign to persuade Plateau State Governor Caleb Muftwang to join the APC has been successful. We are grateful that Governor Muftwang responded to our appeal, which was motivated by our dedication to the interests of Plateau State and the North-Central region as a whole.
Muftwang’s excellent deeds and accomplishments while in office served as the basis for our push for him to join the APC. We also felt that he could accomplish much more if he were given a secure political platform like the APC’s. Additionally, we think that Governor Mutfwang will have the chance to work with President Bola Tinubu to more successfully provide the benefits of democracy to the people of Plateau State by joining the APC.
Since all six of the region’s states are now APC, the North-Central is presently the only zone with six APC governors. Our goal of delivering the entire North-Central to our magnificent celebration has been realized thanks to this historic accomplishment.
“We are confident that Governor Muftwang’s calculated action will benefit not just the residents of Plateau State but the entire North-Central region. The statement read, “We call on all stakeholders to rally around Governor Muftwang as he contributes to moving the party forward and assure him of our full support.”
For Tinubu’s reelection in 2027, the APC Forum reaffirmed its commitment to deliver six million votes from the North-Central. In April 2025, the Forum announced a goal to win all elective seats in the zone in 2027 “to show that in truth, the North-Central is for APC.” The Forum had previously pledged four million votes for the President’s reelection, but in April 2025, it increased that number to six million votes.
“We are on track to deliver six million votes for Mr. President, especially because the APC currently controls every state in the zone. When it comes time for Mr. President to run for reelection in 2027, he may feel certain about the North-Central’s votes,” the statement stated.
Similarly, the Forum expressed gratitude to Tinubu for his leadership, which enabled Mutfwang to join the APC.
Recall that shortly after the Supreme Court upheld Mutfwang’s election as Plateau State governor, in April 2024, the North-Central APC Forum publicly invited him to join the APC.
Additionally, the APC Forum informed the national secretariat of the decision to extend an invitation to Mutfwang to join the party via a letter. In an attempt to recruit Mutfwang into the APC, the North-Central APC Forum met with Plateau State party officials and chieftains in Abuja in March 2024 to devise a strategy to steal Mutfwang from the PDP.
There were reports in December 2024 that Mutfwang had joined the APC. The rumors started after Mutfwang’s picture was shared with other APC governors during the Edo State governorship race in September 2024.
However, in a statement issued by his Director of Press and Public Affairs, Gyang Bere, Mutfwang distanced himself from the rumors and reiterated his PDP membership.
Nonetheless, the North-Central APC Forum persisted in urging the governor to become a member of the APC and assume leadership of the party in Plateau State. Additionally, the Forum stepped up its recruitment efforts for Muftwang, urging the governor to join the party in order to prevent “drowning with the PDP,” given the PDP’s ongoing crises.
At a stakeholders conference in Jos on October 17, 2025, former Deputy National Secretary Barrister Festus Fuanter made a motion opposing Muftwang’s potential defection to the APC, which was supported by several Plateau State party officials.
Fuanter had stated, “I make the motion against accepting Plateau State Governor Caleb Mutfwang joining the APC.” The stakeholders also unanimously approved the motion.
However, in response to the Plateau APC leaders’ stance, the North-Central APC Forum stated that those who oppose Mutfwang’s defection to the APC are acting selfishly rather than in the party’s best interests.
The Forum accused party national chairman Yilwatda of supporting efforts to prevent the Plateau governor from joining the party, characterizing his claimed actions as undemocratic, in response to demonstrations and rallies against Muftwang’s defection that were organized by some APC members, including the women’s chapter, in Jos.
In the 2023 election, Yilwatda was the APC’s candidate for governor of the Plateau, but he was defeated by Muftwang. According to the North-Central APC Forum, Yilwatda is opposed to Mutfwang’s arrival because he plans to run for governor once more in 2027.
The North-Central Forum APC went on to say that the national chairman had nothing to do with Muftwang’s defection and could not prevent the Plateau governor from joining the APC whenever he decided to do so. It stated that the only people with the power to accept him into the party are the APC executives in the governor’s ward in Mangu. The Mangu Ward leaders were also advised by the Forum to formally invite Muftwang to join the APC.
In a similar spirit, the Progressive Governors Forum’s North-Central APC Forum urged President Bola Tinubu and APC governors to step in and facilitate Muftwang’s defection.
