The North-Central All Progressives Congress (APC) Forum has criticized the protest held in Jos on Saturday by some Plateau APC members who opposed the potential defection of Governor Caleb Mutfwang to the party.
The protest took place during an event organized to receive new defectors into the APC, where some members displayed placards rejecting the governor’s possible entry into the ruling party.
Reacting on Sunday, the North-Central APC Forum described the demonstration as undemocratic, stressing that no individual or group has the authority to stop any Nigerian governor from joining a political party of their choice.
In a statement signed by its Chairman, Alhaji Saleh Zazzaga, the Forum reiterated its long-standing appeal to Governor Mutfwang to leave the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and join the APC ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Zazzaga argued that welcoming the governor into the party would enhance the APC’s electoral prospects, accusing those resisting the move of prioritizing “selfish political ambitions” over the party’s progress.
He claimed that some Plateau APC leaders fueling the protest are driven by personal interest: “They want to run for office in 2027 and know they cannot defeat Governor Mutfwang under any party. That is why they are desperate.”
The Forum urged President Bola Tinubu to intervene and caution party leaders working against the governor’s possible defection, and also called on the Chairman of the Progressive Governors Forum to support efforts to bring Mutfwang into the APC.
According to the group, those opposed to Mutfwang’s entry are obstructing the broader goal of securing six million votes for President Tinubu in 2027. Zazzaga labeled them as “political amateurs who lack strategic understanding.”
The Forum further accused some Plateau APC stakeholders of hypocrisy, noting that several of those resisting the defection failed to deliver their polling units during the last election, yet are now seeking federal appointments. The APC’s 2023 deputy governorship candidate in Plateau was specifically cited.
The Forum also recalled its rejection of a Plateau APC stakeholders’ resolution in October that opposed Mutfwang’s defection, saying genuine representatives from the North-Central zone were excluded from that meeting.
Reaffirming its stance, the group said its advocacy for Mutfwang’s defection has the support of influential figures within the Presidency.
“We need people who can add value to the APC. Rejecting Governor Mutfwang is politically blind. The priority now is securing victory for President Tinubu; personal interests can wait,” the statement read.
The Forum also appealed to former Plateau governor and APC leader, Senator Simon Lalong, to swiftly intervene and help accommodate Governor Mutfwang within the Plateau APC structure.
