…rumours, denials, power blocs and open confrontations reshape Plateau’s political landscape
Political uncertainty has gripped Plateau State for more than a year as rumours surrounding Governor Caleb Mutfwang’s possible defection from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC) continue to gather momentum. What began as muted speculation in late 2024 has evolved into a complex political drama marked by internal party fractures, shifting alliances, high-stakes consultations, and open resistance from influential blocs within the APC.
As 2025 ends, the governor’s political future remains a subject of intense debate, with developments suggesting that the conversation is no longer whether he will defect—but when.
The speculation around Governor Mutfwang’s political direction took root in the last quarter of 2024, following renewed turbulence within the PDP at the national level. The unresolved crisis stemming from the 2022 presidential primaries triggered a wave of exits by influential party leaders, many aligned with former Rivers State governor Nyesom Wike. As Wike’s allies, mostly governors continued to cross into the APC throughout 2024 and 2025, attention quietly shifted to Plateau, where Governor Mutfwang is widely perceived as being politically close to the Wike bloc.
By early 2025, the rumour had gained quiet but significant traction. Political actors across the state began recalibrating their calculations, while members of both the APC and PDP closely monitored every political movement emanating from Government House, Rayfield. Throughout this period, neither the governor nor his core team issued explicit statements confirming or denying the speculations. This silence fueled further interpretations, allowing the rumour to mature into a powerful political conversation shaping alliances and strategy ahead of the 2027 general elections.
APC legacy group raises alarm over internal sabotage
A major public signal that the rumour had reached a critical stage surfaced when the Concerned Plateau APC Legacy Members accused certain APC stalwarts of actively working to block Governor Mutfwang from joining the ruling party. Speaking at a press briefing in Jos, the group—led by Emmanuel Dankasa—criticised the alleged orchestration of protests aimed at rejecting the governor’s entry. According to them, such actions amounted to sabotage and threatened the APC’s strategic goal of expanding its influence across Plateau State.
Read also: Group demands sanctions against members blocking Mutfwang’s APC move
The group argued that if the APC was welcoming defectors nationwide—including former governors, senators and commissioners—it made little sense for some members in Plateau to resist the entry of a sitting governor. They maintained that Mutfwang had the constitutional freedom to associate with any political platform and warned that excluding him could weaken the APC’s image as a growing, inclusive party.
The group, however, argued that the individuals leading these protests are well known within the APC structure, and urged the party to verify their membership status. They maintained that if they are confirmed to be bona fide members, punitive measures should follow to preserve party discipline.
“Failure to fish out perpetrators of this disgraceful political suicide and sanction them accordingly, would leave discerning members of the society with no choice than to believe the protesters are mere pawns, executing sinister motives of vested interests within the party hierarchy.
“it is without doubt, that the protesters are persons known to the leadership of the APC in Plateau state, but wether such individuals are card-carrying members of the APC is a fact that needs to be investigated and if found to be so, be meted with sanctions proportionate to their actions”.
A dramatic rejection at APC stakeholders’ meeting
The political atmosphere, however, took a dramatic turn when the APC convened a high-level stakeholders’ meeting in Jos attended by prominent party figures, inincluding Nentawe Yilwatda, it’s national chairman. During the meeting, a motion was raised asking members to decide whether the party should admit Governor Mutfwang if he eventually opted to defect. In a moment that stunned many in attendance, the hall erupted in a unanimous, resounding “No.”
Political observers described the moment as unprecedented, revealing a deep internal fracture over how the APC should handle such a high-profile potential defector.
The rejection was widely interpreted as evidence that a powerful bloc within the APC was uncomfortable with the governor’s likely impact on the party’s internal power balance.
Why APC is afraid: Fear of a takeover
Insiders within the APC revealed to BusinessDay that the opposition to Mutfwang’s entry was rooted in more than ideological differences.
Many party leaders feared that admitting a sitting governor—armed with institutional influence, access to federal networks, and a mobilisable grassroots base—could result in a rapid takeover of the party’s leadership structures. According to these insiders, long-standing APC blocs worry that Mutfwang’s presence could dramatically reshape the party’s internal dynamics ahead of 2027 primaries.
A senior party strategist noted that several APC leaders were concerned that the governor’s political strength could overshadow their years of investment in building the party’s base. “It is not about whether he fits into the APC ideology. It is about whether he becomes the new centre of gravity the moment he steps in”; the strategist said.
Fear of displacement intensifies resistance
Another APC source explained that many loyalists fear that admitting the governor could shift control of ward, local government, and state executive structures toward individuals aligned with him. According to the source, such an outcome could leave existing stakeholders at a disadvantage, weakening their influence ahead of key electoral contests. This internal pushback, the source added, was the real force behind the public rejection witnessed at the stakeholders’ meeting in the presence of the national chairman.
Despite this resistance, other APC members believe that welcoming a sitting governor would strengthen the party’s prospects in 2027 and broaden its federal and state-level collaboration. This divide has deepened the uncertainty surrounding the governor’s rumoured move.
A new rally urges Mutfwang to defect
As the tension within the APC intensified, so did pressure from outside the party. Recently, a coalition of PDP members from all 17 local government areas converged in Jos to publicly urge Governor Mutfwang to defect to the APC. Led by Christopher Danjem, the group marched through major streets before arriving at Government House Rayfield, where they submitted a letter appealing to the governor to align with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration.
Addressing the group, Jeremiah Satmark, the Chief of Staff to governor Mutfwang acknowledged receipt of their message and assured them it would be delivered to the governor. He emphasised that Mutfwang had consistently stated that only two forces—God and the people of Plateau State—would determine his political future.
Inside government house: Quiet signals of a likely move
Behind the scenes, however, several senior officials close to the governor confided to BusinessDay that a defection to the APC is increasingly likely. They point to the intensifying crisis within the PDP, the steady movement of Wike-aligned governors into the APC, and strategic pressures emerging from both national and state politics.
One official summed it up plainly: “It is no longer about whether he will leave the PDP. It is about when.”
A state balancing on shifting political ground
As Plateau State navigates this turbulent political moment, the implications extend far beyond rumours and denials. Within the PDP, internal dissatisfaction continues to grow, while within the APC, divisions over whether to accept the governor remain unresolved. Meanwhile, various political groups—both supportive and opposed to the move—continue to pull the governor in opposing directions.
Whether Governor Mutfwang ultimately defects or remains in the PDP will profoundly reshape Plateau’s political landscape ahead of the 2027 general election. For now, as one veteran politician remarked quietly: “In Plateau politics, the truth may take time, but it never stays hidden forever”.
