Plateau State Governor, Caleb Manasseh Mutfwang, has formally joined the All Progressives Congress (APC), declaring his commitment to President Bola Tinubu’s re-election and pledging to deliver one million additional votes for the President in the 2027 general election.
Mutfwang announced his decision on Friday in Jos after receiving his APC membership card at the Victoria Gowon Hall, Government House, Rayfield, following the completion of his online registration and resignation from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
He said the decision was guided by faith and driven by the need to reposition Plateau State politically and ensure its relevance at the national level.
He stated: “I want to say, wholeheartedly, that having prayed, having consulted, having thought through, I have decided to accept the membership of the APC. I don’t know if you can hear me.
“One thing I declared to Mr. President when I first met him on the 3rd of June, 2023, is that I am committed to his presidency and committed to his re-election. Today, I want to affirm that I am a believer in his leadership.
“Things may not have met everybody’s expectations, but I know his determination to fix the challenges of Nigeria, and I am ready to embark on that journey. I believe that the step I am taking today will ensure that my counsel to him is no longer taken as that of an outsider, but as one from the inside, by design, to ensure that when conversations are held about national development, Plateau is well represented.”
The governor said his entry into the ruling party would strengthen Plateau’s voice at the centre and secure the state a place in key national conversations.
Looking ahead to the 2027 general election, Mutfwang expressed confidence that Plateau would deliver overwhelming electoral support for Tinubu.
“I look forward to one of the most peaceful elections in the history of Plateau State in 2027, and together, as we join hands, I am confident we can deliver one million more votes for Mr. President,” he said.
He described the 2023 general election as one of the most acrimonious in the state’s history, marked by prolonged litigation up to the Supreme Court, insisting that divine intervention ultimately secured his victory.
“We fought a very acrimonious election. We spent billions of naira. We went into litigation and spent billions of naira. There was somebody waiting for us that we did not know — and that was the God of heaven,” he emphasized.
Mutfwang assured APC members that his defection was not intended to displace or marginalise anyone within the party, adding that those who remained in the PDP were not his enemies and would continue to enjoy his respect.
The governor also renewed his call for unity across political, ethnic and religious lines, saying Plateau’s progress depended on collective effort.
Presenting the membership card, APC State Chairman, Hon. Rufus Bature, confirmed that Mutfwang had fulfilled all requirements and was entitled to all rights and privileges of a bona fide party member.
The ceremony was attended by former Governors Joshua Dariye and Simon Lalong, members of the National Assembly, party leaders and other stakeholders, after which the governor held a closed-door meeting with the APC State Executive Committee and elders.