Plateau State Governor, Caleb Mutfwang, has disclosed that President Bola Tinubu personally invited him on several occasions to defect from the Peoples Democratic Party to the ruling All Progressives Congress.
Mutfwang said the decision to leave the PDP followed months of consultations and deep personal reflection, stressing that the move was taken in the overall interest of Plateau State.
Speaking on Thursday shortly after announcing his defection to the APC, the governor said his action was not driven by personal ambition but by respect for President Tinubu, whom he described as having shown uncommon interest in Plateau and its peculiar challenges.
He noted that despite repeated invitations from the President to join the APC, he had consistently declined, choosing instead to maintain his political stance while sustaining cordial relations with the Federal Government.
“I pay my respects to President Tinubu for honouring our earlier decisions not to move to the APC and still maintaining a cordial relationship with us despite that,” he said during a meeting with political appointees and stakeholders at the Government House in Jos.
Mutfwang added that beyond the President, several influential figures, including governors elected on the platform of the APC, had also encouraged him to defect, but he remained resolute until recent developments within his former party.
According to the governor, the worsening internal crisis rocking the PDP at the national level eventually compelled him to reconsider his position, despite the party enjoying stability in Plateau State.
“Until recently, when it became clear that the PDP at the national level has undeniable problems with its structure, the need to decamp to another party was already quieted. We have zero challenges at the state level but all our efforts are vain without a solid structure at the national level,” he said.
Mutfwang warned that remaining in the PDP amid the unresolved crisis posed serious risks to the mandate given to him by the people of Plateau State, noting the uncertainty surrounding the party’s future.
“The risks involved in staying back in the PDP are too high for us to carelessly gamble with the mandate Plateau people gave us. No one can tell reassuringly when and how the crisis will end, or what wins or losses could be incurred.
“Bearing in mind the emotional torture our dear people went through, we can’t, by our actions or inactions, subject ourselves to another experience like that.”
He further explained that while he could have defected to any other party, political experience had taught him that electoral victory alone was not enough without a strong national structure to protect and translate votes into governance outcomes.
“Although we’ve had our issues with Plateau APC, we can’t deny the favour and cordiality with which the Tinubu-led administration has related with us. And since the President didn’t try to force us to join the APC before things went completely south in the PDP, it’s fair enough that we considered joining the APC.
“We have a chance to attract and be entitled to so many good things, from appointments, to favours that will richly impact Plateau. Is it really wisdom to forfeit all that? No! Already there’s good news to be announced soon. Stay tuned,” he added.