Defection: How Mutfwang united Plateau’s political forces

By Clifford Ndujihe, Politics Editor

It is no longer news that Governor Caleb Mutfwang of Plateau State has left the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, and landed in the ruling All Peoples Congress, APC. But the implication of the historic move for him, the APC and the state remain germane.

Read Also: 2027: Seven governors defying the APC hurricane

Under the blazing Plateau sun, the Jos Polo Ground became a theatre of power on Tuesday, January 27. Banners fluttered. Party anthems soared. Political titans and followers snaked their way from all parts of Plateau and the country to Jos. And in one dramatic gesture, Plateau State, long a contested battleground in Nigeria’s political wars, tilted decisively toward the APC.

The rally itself was a roll call of Plateau’s political history and elite consensus. Former governor Joshua Dariye, ex-Deputy Governor Pauline Tallen, and other prominent leaders, who once occupied opposing camps, now united by a single political destination, joined the reception, symbolising a rare convergence of past and present political forces around a single strategic choice.

Their presence was not ceremonial; it was strategic. It signaled that Plateau’s old political wars had given way to a new consensus: survival through alignment with power.

Plateau dignitaries at the welcome rally included APC National Chairman, Prof Nentawe Yilwatda; Dariye; Tallen; immediate past governor of the state, and serving Senator, Simon Lalong; Plateau APC Chairman, Rufus Bature; serving senator Diket Plang; eight members of the House of Representatives; former Senator Davou Mwadkwon;Deputy Governor Ngo Josephine Piyo; Speaker Naanlong Gapyil, members of the House Assembly and local council chairmen among others.

Those came from the other parts of the country included Vice President Kashim Shettima, who represented President Bola Ahmed Tinubu; Senate President Godswill Akpabio; Deputy Senate President Jibrin Barau; Senators Adams Oshiomhole and Opeyemi Bamidele; House of Representatives Speaker Tajudeen Abass; Governos Hope Uzodimma(Imo), Abdullahi Sule(Nasarawa); Monday Okpebholo(Edo), Francis Nwifuru(Ebonyi); Agbu Kefas(Taraba); Umara Zulum(Borno); Babajide Sanwo-Olu(Lagos); and deputy governors of Jigawa and Gombe among others.

Before the rally, Senator Lalong was the leader of the APC in Plateau. With the defection, he willingly relinquished the position for Mutfwang, who APC stakeholders at the event handed an automatic 2027 return ticket.

With all the major candidates, who contested against Mutfwang in 2023 now in APC and under the leadership of the governor, the APC appears set for a smooth sail in the 2027 polls in Plateau.

Speaking at the rally, Plateau APC Chairman, Bature welcomed Mutfwang to the ruling party. Describing Plateau as a state of possibilities, he said they would support the governor to make the state work better.

Speaker after speaker at the event hailed the governor, the 22nd governor and sixth civilian governor of Plateau for leading 30 officials of the state to align with APC few days to the 50th anniversary of the creation of the state. 

Mutfwang’s defection means the six states of the North-Central are now controlled by the APC.

Indeed, Vice President Shettima framed the event not as a defection but as a philosophical realignment. “Plateau is a reminder that what powers every nation is unity, unity not rooted in sameness but anchored on shared purpose,” he declared

He said Mutfwang’s move was proof that the APC had become the gravitational centre of Nigeria’s politics and assured Mutfwang of full recognition within the ruling party as leader of the APC in Plateau, adding that Senator Lalong had willingly ceded the slot to the governor.

He disclosed that work on the Jos-Akwanga federal highway would start in three weeks and Plateau would get 1,000 slots in forest guards job among others.

APC National Chairman, Prof. Yilwatda, once Mutfwang’s fiercest rival in the 2023 governorship election, delivered what may yet be remembered as the most symbolic speech of the day. “My joy knows no bounds,” he said, as he handed the governor the party’s broom. “All the structures are now in APC – more united, more intimidating, more prepared to win.”

Then came the metaphor that captured the political mood: “Our broom will give you strength to sweep all your supporters to APC. The broom will sweep away disunity.” 

Noting that “all parties that contested against Mutfwang in 2023 had collapsed into APC to support him and President Tinubu in 2027, he assured: “Our coming together will bring needed peace in Plateau. We will work towards it in the 17 LGAs of the state…

“In 2027, President Tinubu and Caleb will win overwhelmingly in Plateau. I can assure you(Mutfwang), we will do all that is needed to retain you in the Government House.”

Senate President Akpabio viewed the defection within the broader architecture of Nigeria’s political future. He declared that the North-Central had become another APC stronghold and hailed Mutfwang for “taking the people of Plateau to the centre of national politics.”

He pledged that the National Assembly would approve funds to tackle insecurity in Plateau and ensure that people in IDP camps return to their homes.

In an interview after the rally, Mutfwang spoke on the real reasons he defected, the implications, the value he would add to APC and how he would sustain the newfound political unity on the Plateau.

Why I dumped PDP —Mutfwang

Last June, you said you would never join the APC. What happened, why and when did you change your mind?

To be honest with you, in July to be precise, the President reached out to me and asked me to consider coming over to the APC. I politely declined because my assessment then of the political dynamics of the Plateau was that the Plateau could only be compared to Anambra where commitment to a party is so passionate. There was no need for me to contemplate leaving the PDP at that point in time. But you will also recall that from September or thereabout, the PDP began to wobble seriously. It got to the point where, as an insider, I became aware, as one of our elders said, that the PDP had fallen into the hands of undertakers.

At that point, the question was whether I was still going on with 2027 or not. I likened it to having a very serious appointment, like a wedding, ahead of you, and the vehicle you are travelling in breaks down very irreparably. You are forced at that point either to look for a mechanic or to look for another vehicle.

Going into 2027, I needed a platform. When I looked at it and saw that the PDP was not likely going to become a viable platform for 2027, I had to think of an option. The options were either to look for a new political party or to accept the invitation by the President.

When I did my own intelligence gathering about the state of parties in Nigeria, I found that it was least dangerous for me to respond to the President than to think of a new platform. I have never believed in the gladiators in the African Democratic Congress, ADC, for example, and I didn’t think that was an option for me.

So, to answer your question simply, when I gave that response earlier in the year, the circumstances were entirely different. After that, events began to emerge that I never contemplated, which forced me to have a rethink. It is that rethink that has brought me to this point now, where, after much consultation, I thought it was safer to go with the APC.

You’ve had so much development in terms of education, agriculture and other sectors with the PDP. Now that you have aligned with the centre, what do we expect in terms of more development for the state?

For me, it is to expect more collaboration, more enhancement and more support to continue what we have started doing. I must be honest, we haven’t witnessed too much hostility from the federal government. At least in the last one year plus, I think I’ve enjoyed considerable collaboration with the federal government.

Now that I’m part of the family, I expect even more enhanced collaboration in the future. What is emerging is that Plateau State is becoming like the jewel of the crown in the North-Central. I believe that all the potential to harvest votes on the Plateau will be nurtured so that we can deliver on the potential that we hold.

At your reception rally, the Speaker of the House of Representatives made a predictable speech about reconciliation. When a new governor comes into the APC, there is a problem of harmonising structures. How are you going to go about it to foster peace and harmony?

For us on the Plateau, we are lucky. The key gladiators we would have had issues with have demonstrated sufficient understanding. Former Governor Simon Lalong, who is my predecessor, publicly told the world that I am now the new leader. Once you have a leadership structure, it is not difficult to harmonise positions.

On my part, I know it is not a winner-takes-all situation. You have to have a likeness of hearts to ensure that all and sundry are accommodated under the same roof.

We saw people trekking as long as two to three kilometres to attend the reception at Polo field. It also appears there is relative peace. How were you able to achieve that?

As you rightly observed, December was one of the most peaceful in the recent history of the Plateau. If you came here on the 31st of December, I was there. That is a reflection of the relative peace we are talking about. It didn’t just take place in Jos; virtually all local governments experienced relative peace.

It is the result of concerted efforts. It is not happenstance. We have been lucky to stumble upon credible, actionable intelligence that helps us nip potential threats in the bud. You don’t get intelligence without cultivating friendships and relationships. Where you cultivate the right relationships, people volunteer information. This is what we have been doing over the last two years.

In the last three months particularly, the body language of the President has changed. It has given more clarity to the security agencies to deal with the situation. They now feel empowered by the political leadership to do the needful, and I think that has changed a lot.

Plateau is historically a PDP state, coming from the works of people like the late Chief Solomon Lar as one of the founding father’s. Now that you have gone to the APC, are the grassroots part of this?

Absolutely. Let me give you a bit of history. Even Chief Solomon Lar, the founding chairman of the PDP, was once ostracized from the party. He aligned with other political platforms. Governor Joshua Dariye contested the 2003 elections on the platform of the All Nigeria People’s Party, ANPP when he felt short-changed, and he later returned.

Plateau people are rational voters. They know when to trust the judgment of their leader. Many people may not necessarily be current members of the APC, but they have shown commitment that wherever we go, they are with us. At the end of the day, it is not party membership but voter support that matters.

Since we made the decision to cross over, we have been engaging the grassroots. Many of them only wanted to be spoken to and to hear the reasoning behind our decision. Leaders across faith and ethnicity have come to appreciate the rationale.

We are continuing the engagement. I am a grassroots politician. Energising your base is critical, and we will intensify that in the days ahead.

On dividends of the defection 

On tangible benefits, the road project is now with the legal department of the Ministry of Works. Contracts are being tidied up, and mobilisation should begin soon say in two to three weeks. The President has assured me it is a legacy project.

Investments in livestock development are also coming. We are determined to recover the Wase grazing reserve. Livestock development has the capacity to bring prosperity. We are developing the entire value chain, from feed to milk production. We are also building a new abattoir capable of slaughtering 500 cows a day.

The Vice President also mentioned recruitment into the forest service. Plateau has been allocated 1,000 slots, which will help in returning IDPs to their communities.

On guarantees, tradition in Nigeria ensures first-term governors get second-term tickets. I am confident the President is a man of his word. Beyond that, we will bring value to the APC. Plateau State has the potential to influence Middle Belt voting blocs significantly.

Given past hostility between parties, how do you translate conflict energy into development?

At a point, maturity sets in. We choose collaboration over conflict. The endorsement by the National Chairman was reassuring and energising. It put fears to rest and strengthened commitment.

We must take our political destiny into our hands and I’ll ensure our votes count in national politics post-2027.

You were at the PDP National Convention in Ibadan, Oyo State and there were calling for expulsions you later objected to. Why?

I objected out of principle because it was done surreptitiously. There was no conversation around it that I was privy to, and I felt that a decision of such magnitude should not just be taken by a few people. Moreover, I didn’t see the purpose it was going to achieve. It was only going to deepen the divide, and as you can see, the situation has worsened since then.

If you followed the trend last week, there was a particular fiasco in court, which is like walking into a trap. Before you get out of such entanglement, a lot of water has passed under the bridge. I thought it was a wrong strategy to take control of the party.

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