Plateau APC Legacy Members Slam Protests Against Governor Mutfwang’s Planned Defection

By Asile Abel, Jos

Concerned Plateau APC Legacy Members have expressed deep disappointment and frustration over protests aimed at blocking Governor Caleb Manasseh Mutfwang’s potential defection to the All Progressives Congress (APC).

The group condemned the protests as “ill-advised,” “counterproductive,” and “puerile,” arguing that they contradict the party’s core principles of inclusivity and growth.

According to the group, the primary goal of the APC is to win elections and form government, and welcoming high-profile defectors remains a proven strategy to achieve that objective. They pointed to the party’s recent grand receptions for defectors in Jos and Lokoja as clear evidence of its commitment to expansion and development.

“We are perplexed that the same party that spent hundreds of millions of naira organising lavish receptions for defectors would sit back and allow its supposed members to stage protests aimed at stopping a sitting governor from joining,” the group stated. “This is nothing short of hypocrisy and a brazen display of political immaturity.”

The Concerned Plateau APC Legacy Members stressed that Governor Mutfwang’s defection would represent the biggest political catch for the APC in Plateau State since the party’s formation in 2013, given the governor’s influence, control of state structures, and grassroots followership.

They dismissed suggestions that the APC could win the 2027 elections in Plateau without the governor’s support, noting that the party’s current goodwill in the state largely stems from Governor Mutfwang’s cordial relationship with the Presidency.

The group warned that rejecting the governor would be a strategic blunder and urged the national and state leadership to immediately sanction those behind the protests, insisting that failure to act would be interpreted as tacit endorsement.

“We call on the party leadership to investigate the protesters and deal decisively with any card-carrying member found to be involved, in line with the APC constitution,” they said.

Describing the protesters as individuals who benefit from the status quo and fear becoming politically irrelevant, the group appealed directly to Governor Mutfwang to join the APC, emphasising that the party’s Renewed Hope agenda perfectly aligns with his vision for Plateau State.

“We earnestly appeal to His Excellency, Governor Caleb Mutfwang, to consider the greater interest of Plateau State and join the APC family. His presence will usher in unprecedented development and progress,” the group added.

The legacy members concluded by calling on all stakeholders to place the party’s success and the state’s progress above personal interests in order to build a stronger APC and a brighter future for Plateau State.

“Governor Mutfwang’s alleged defection to the biggest catch the APC would have recorded in Plateau State since its formation in 2013.”

“Those trying to stand in the way of Governor Mutfwang joining the APC are probably people who benefit from the status quo and fear that any change would render them politically inconsequential.”