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Governor Caleb Mutfwang of Plateau State has firmly denied any plans to dump the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) for the All Progressives Congress (APC), calling the recent speculation “unfounded and misleading.”
The governor’s statement comes at a time when the PDP has experienced high-profile defections, including those of Delta State Governor Sheriff Oborevwori and Akwa Ibom’s Umo Eno, both of whom crossed over to the APC along with their state party structures.
Responding to the swirling rumours during a media interaction, Mutfwang maintained that Plateau has always aligned with the PDP and that shifting allegiance would be tantamount to turning his back on the will of the people.
“I haven’t had that conversation [of leaving PDP for APC] with anyone,” he said. “The media has speculated a lot, but nothing has happened.”
He attributed the rumours to “two or three groups,” one of which he said was well-meaning but misguided in their assumptions.
“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.”
Recounting the controversial 2015 election, Mutfwang, then a local government chairman, said the process was manipulated.
“We adjourned the coalition at 8 p.m. to resume the next morning. But by 2 a.m., when I woke up to urinate, I found that the results had already been declared.”
According to him, even the 2019 election, which saw General Jeremiah Usaini run as the PDP candidate, was “stolen by the system,” despite Usaini’s presumed victory.
He added, “Most of those leading APC in Plateau today carry a trust deficit.
“Some honest members of the APC wish we could validate them with our credibility. But Plateau politics doesn’t operate like that.”
Mutfwang said the people of Plateau have remained loyal to the PDP, even when the party lost power at the federal level.
“During the last eight years, some local governments couldn’t even hold elections for fear of losing.”
Insisting he would remain with the PDP, he said, “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.”
The governor also addressed the PDP’s internal challenges, which led to the loss of legislative seats to the APC through appellate court rulings.
As a member of the party’s national reconciliation committee, he revealed that the issues have now been resolved.
“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,” Mutfwang concluded.