'I Did Not Betray Plateau People' – Mutfwang Defends Defection To APC

‘I Did Not Betray Plateau People’ – Mutfwang Defends Defection To APC
He cites PDP crisis and 2027 uncertainty as key reasons.
Governor insists Plateau will benefit more from federal alignment.

Plateau State Governor, Caleb Mutfwang, has dismissed claims that he betrayed the people of the state by defecting from the Peoples Democratic Party to the All Progressives Congress.

The governor said his decision to align with the ruling party was taken in the overall interest of Plateau State and not for personal political survival, as alleged by critics.

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EKO HOT BLOG reports that since his official declaration for the APC on January 27, Mutfwang has faced criticism from political opponents who accused him of abandoning the mandate given to him by voters in the 2023 governorship election.

Speaking during an interactive session with journalists at the Government House in Jos on Saturday, the governor said his defection had been widely misunderstood.

According to him, the decision followed careful consideration of the political future of Plateau State and the internal condition of the PDP, which he described as being in deep turmoil.

He said the lingering crisis within the party had no clear path to resolution, making it an unreliable platform ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Mutfwang revealed that he initially had no intention of leaving the PDP, despite pressure from various quarters, including personal overtures from President Bola Tinubu.

However, he said developments within the party later forced him to reconsider his position.

“Going into 2027, I needed a platform. When I looked at it and saw that the PDP was not likely going to become a viable platform for 2027, I had to think of an option,” the governor said.

“The options were either to look for a new political party or to accept the invitation by the President.”

He said his decision followed what he described as intelligence gathering on the state of political parties in the country.

“When I did my own intelligence gathering about the state of parties in Nigeria, I found that it was least dangerous for me to respond to the President than to think of a new platform,” he stated.

“I have never believed in the gladiators in the ADC, for example, and I didn’t think that was an option for me.”

Mutfwang said alignment with the APC would bring greater benefits to Plateau State, particularly in education, security and agriculture.

According to him, progress recorded under his administration would be enhanced now that the state is aligned with the ruling party at the centre.

“Like I said during my speech at the reception on January 27, the people of Plateau State should expect more development now that we are in the APC,” he said.

“They should expect more collaboration, more enhancement and more support to continue what we have started doing.”

The governor also dismissed claims that Plateau State had suffered neglect from the Federal Government before his defection.

“I must be honest, we haven’t witnessed hostility from the federal government. At least in the last one year plus, I think I’ve enjoyed considerable collaboration with the federal government,” he said.

He added that Plateau State was fast emerging as a strategic political and economic hub in the North Central region.

“What is emerging is that Plateau State is becoming like the jewel of the crown in the North Central,” Mutfwang said.

The governor expressed confidence in the political maturity of Plateau voters, noting that leadership decisions taken in the collective interest are often understood over time.

“Many people may not necessarily be current members of the APC, but they have shown commitment that wherever we go, they are with us”.

“At the end of the day, it is not party membership but voter support that matters.”

‘I Did Not Betray Plateau People’ – Mutfwang Defends Defection To APC

“Since we made the decision to cross over, we have been engaging the grassroots. Many of them only wanted to be spoken to and to hear the reasoning behind our decision. Leaders across faith and ethnicity have come to appreciate the rationale,” the governor said.