By Suleiman Anyalewechi
The North Central All Progressive Congress APC Forum on Tuesday, November 25, 2025, expressed serious concern over what it described as a dangerous gang-up by some major party stakeholders in the state, led by the National Chairman Professor Nentawe Yilwatda, to frustrate Governor Caleb Mutfwang from joining the party.
The Source reports that there have been exchange of political manoeuvring and brickbats among Plateau State political gladiators over the speculated plan by the Governor to dump his beleaguered Peoples Democratic party PDP for the APC.
Some forces loyal to the APC National Chairman are believed to be strongly aversed to Governor Mutfwang crossing over to the APC for fear of losing the party’s structure.
Only on Monday, November, 24, 2025, the Plateau State Chapter of the Forum of Former Elected Councilors registered its opposition to any move to railroad the Governor into the APC.
At a media briefing in Jos , Chairman of the group, John Dashe, condemned and dismissed the Coalition of Concerned Former APC Councilors and Grassroots Mobilizers, CFACGZM, over its alleged attempt to smuggle Governor Mutfwang into the APC through the back door.
The CFCGM had, in a statement issued on Tuesday November 18, urged the Governor to consider a move to the ruling party at the centre, noting that he will be an invaluable asset.
However, the Dashe-led former Councilors while describing the CFCGM as a non-existent body and faceless, noted that its move smacks of desperation on the part of the Governor and his paid agents.
“In the first place ,we urge the general public to note that the group-CFCAGM does not represent the interest of either the former or the present Councilors in Plateau state.
“This group, CFACGZM, has called on Governor Caleb Mutfwang to join the APC. We view this as a desperate attempt by the Governor and his agents to smuggle him into the party through the back door.
“The Governor has consistently stated that there is no APC in Plateau state, and has no intention of joining a party on the verge of collapse. His recent desperation to join the APC is, therefore, puzzling
“We still want to remind the Governor that our party is still the Muslim-Muslim ticket he demonized in 2023. His desperation to join the APC raises suspicion about his motives. We believe that accepting him would be a self-infliction on our party”, Dashe stated .
Dashe and his group of former Councilors are said to be loyal to the APC National Chairman Professor Yilwatda, who is believed to be uncomfortable with the plan move of the Governor to the party.
But in a statement on Tuesday November 25, from its Chairman Alhaji Saleh Zazzaga, the North Central APC Forum which has been at the forefront of the campaign for Governor Mutfwang to join the APC, insisted that the party’s National Chairman has no right and powers to prevent him or any other persons from pitching tent with the party.
The Forum accused the APC National Chairman of sponsoring some people to protest against the planned defection of the Governor.
It, however, expressed the optimism that no amount of sponsored agitations will stop Governor Mutfwang from joining the APC whenever he makes up his mind to do so.
The APC North Central Forum also alleged that Prof Nentawe has been threatening to revoke its certificate of registration as an affiliate body of the party due to its resoluteness in having the Governor in APC .
The group reminded Prof Nentawe that it was its agitations that resulted in the position of National Chairman being returned from the North West to the North Central, with him now as the beneficiary.
“The National Chairman of the APC has no role to play in bringing Governor Caleb Mutfwang to the APC. It is only Governor Mutfwang’s ward in Mangu that has the right to admit him as a member of the party.
“The National Chairman should stop sponsoring groups to go to the media and be staging protests just to stop the Governor from joining the APC..
“He is disgracing himself and the party because this shows that he does not know the role of a party’s National Chairman. He should be made to understand that he has no role to play in bringing the Governor to the party. If Governor Mutfwang joins APC today, automatically he becomes the leader of the party in Plateau state
“The fact of the matter is that the National Chairman has no right to stop Governor Mutfwang from joining the APC .
“He is just sponsoring people to protest and do or say things that will discourage the Governor from joining APC which is even against the Constitution of the party that made him who he is today
“But the actions of those he is sponsoring cannot stop Governor Mutfwang if he makes up his mind today
“We are, therefore, calling on the leadership and members of the APC in the Governor’s ward to come out and urge him to join the party.
“The leaders of Plateau state are with Governor Mutfwang. What the people of Plateau state need is what we want. Prof Nentawe is trying to revoke our certificate of registration, but it was that same certificate that gave us the right to agitate for the position of National Chairman to return to North Central which led to his appointment .He is using his position to try to silence us ,but we are not going to be intimidated” the APC Forum stated .
The Source further reports that the APC National Chairman was the gubernatorial candidate of the party in the 2023 general elections, but was defeated by Governor Mutfwang.
It is widely believed that Prof Nentawe is strongly still nursing the ambition to govern Plateau State, and, therefore, perceiving the planned defection of Governor Mutfwang to the APC as a potential stumbling block.
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