Muftwang Joins APC, North-Central Leaders Express Appreciation

Caleb Mutfwang, the governor of Plateau State, has been commended by the North-Central All Progressives Congress (APC) Forum for “heeding” their demand to leave the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda, the national chairman of the APC, formally acknowledged Muftwang’s defection on Thursday night at 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, welcoming the Plateau governor to the party and assuring him of all necessary support.

According to the Forum’s statement, Muftwang has told all of his assistants to follow him to the APC.

The Forum noted that the North-Central is now the only region in the nation with six APC governors, calling the governor’s defection “historic” and “strategic.”

“We, the North-Central APC Forum, are pleased to announce the successful conclusion of our campaign and agitation for Plateau State Governor Caleb Muftwang to become an APC member. We are grateful that Governor Muftwang responded to our request, 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 effort to get him to join the APC since we think he can accomplish much more if given a secure political platform like the APC’s. Additionally, we think that Governor Mutfwang would be able to work with President Bola Tinubu to more successfully provide the benefits of democracy to the people of Plateau State if he joins the APC.

Due to this development, all six of the region’s states are now APC, making the North-Central the only zone with six APC governors. Our goal of delivering the entire North-Central to our wonderful celebration has been realized thanks to this historic accomplishment.

“We are confident that Governor Muftwang’s calculated action will benefit not just the people 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 move the party forward and assure him of our full support.”

For Tinubu’s reelection in 2027, the APC Forum reaffirmed its commitment to secure 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.” Initially, the Forum had pledged four million votes for the President’s reelection, but in April 2025, the number was increased to six million.

“We are on track to fulfill our commitment to provide Mr. President with six million votes, especially because the APC now 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 allowed Mutfwang to join the APC.

Recall that in April 2024, just after the Supreme Court upheld Mutfwang’s election as Plateau State governor, the North-Central APC Forum publicly invited him to join the APC.

Additionally, the APC Forum informed the national secretariat of the party’s decision to extend an invitation to Mutfwang to join. 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 for luring Mutfwang away from the PDP.

Rumors that Mutfwang had defected to the APC surfaced in December 2024. Following the publication of Mutfwang’s portrait among those of APC governors during the Edo State governorship election in September 2024, there were rumors.

However, in a statement issued by his Director of Press and Public Affairs, Gyang Bere, Mutfwang disassociated himself from the rumors and reiterated his PDP membership.

Nonetheless, the North-Central APC Forum persisted in urging the governor to become an APC member and assume the party’s leadership 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 turmoil.

At a stakeholders conference in Jos on October 17, 2025, several Plateau State party leaders rejected Muftwang’s potential defection to the APC and supported a motion made by former Deputy National Secretary Barrister Festus Fuanter.

Fuanter had stated, “I move the motion against accepting Plateau State Governor Caleb Mutfwang joining the APC.” Additionally, the stakeholders unanimously approved the motion.

However, the North-Central APC Forum responded to the Plateau APC leaders’ stance by claiming 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 financing efforts to prevent the Plateau governor from joining the party, characterizing his purported behavior as undemocratic, in response to demonstrations and rallies against Muftwang’s defection that were organized by some APC members, including the women’s branch, in Jos.

In the 2023 election, Yilwatda ran for Plateau governor on behalf of the APC, but he was defeated by Muftwang. According to the North-Central APC Forum, Yilwatda opposes Mutfwang’s arrival because he plans to run for governor once more in 2027.

The national chairman has no involvement in Muftwang’s defection and cannot prevent the Plateau governor from joining the APC whenever he decides to do so, according to the North-Central Forum APC. It stated that the only people with the power to accept him into the party are the APC executives in Mangu’s governor’s ward. The Mangu Ward leaders were also pushed by the Forum to publicly welcome Muftwang to join the APC.

Similarly, the Progressive Governors Forum’s North-Central APC Forum urged President Bola Tinubu and APC governors to step in and facilitate Muftwang’s defection.