Plateau State Governor, Caleb Mutfwang, has firmly stated that he has no plans to defect from the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC), dismissing widespread speculation as unfounded.
His declaration comes on the heels of notable defections within the PDP, including those of Delta State Governor Sheriff Oborevwori and Akwa Ibom State Governor Umo Eno, who recently crossed over to the APC, taking their entire party structures with them.
Amid the realignments, calls from within the APC have surfaced, encouraging Mutfwang to join the ruling party, a push that has heightened political tensions in Plateau State.
Responding to the speculation during a recent media chat, Mutfwang maintained that he remains loyal to the PDP, describing Plateau as a stronghold of the party.
According to him, any shift would amount to turning his back on the people who elected him.
“I haven’t had that conversation [of leaving PDP for APC] with anyone. The media has speculated a lot, but nothing has happened,” Mutfwang said.
He added that certain groups were behind the rumour.
“There are two or three groups peddling that rumour. One group is well-intentioned. They know the APC has never really existed on the Plateau, I say that with every sense of responsibility. They’ve been in government by fraud for the past eight years.”
Reflecting on the 2015 elections, Mutfwang recounted how results were allegedly manipulated.
“In 2015, they didn’t win that election. There was a wave of anger in the PDP that led to anti-party activities, but even then, the APC did not win. I was a local government chairman at the time. We adjourned the coalition at 8 pm to resume the next morning. But by 2 am, when I woke up to urinate, I found that the results had already been declared,” he recalled.
He further asserted that the PDP was the true winner of the 2019 governorship election.
“I remain convinced that the PDP’s late candidate, General Jeremiah Usaini, won the 2019 election, but the shenanigans in the system saw someone else declared.”
Mutfwang also questioned the credibility of the APC’s leadership in Plateau.
“The majority of those who have led APC in Plateau carry a trust deficit. There are genuine APC members who wish we could lend our credibility to them. But Plateau politics doesn’t work like that,” he said.
He emphasized that the PDP still holds popular support across the state.
“The majority of Plateau people have always been PDP, and they remain PDP. Even during the last eight years, some local governments couldn’t conduct elections out of fear of losing.”
Mutfwang reiterated his loyalty to the PDP and the people who supported his emergence as governor.
“That’s why I have always said my political future will be decided by God and the people of Plateau State. Wherever Plateau people go, that’s where we go.”
“For us, this isn’t even a matter for discussion. 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 added.
Addressing the internal issues that had previously rocked the PDP, including the Court of Appeal judgments that resulted in the loss of all legislative seats in the state to the APC, Mutfwang, who also serves on the PDP’s national reconciliation committee, stated that the problems had been resolved and that the party is now united.
