ABUJA: The controversy surrounding the reported defection of Plateau State Governor, Caleb Mutfwang, to the ruling All Progressives Congress APC has taken a new twist, with the camp of the APC national chairman, Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda, dismissing the claims as mere speculation.
The development came as a youth group within the party issued a two-week ultimatum to the national chairman to resign or face mass protests.
Operating under the aegis of APC Youth Solidarity Network (APC-YSN), the group in a statement signed by its National Coordinator, Comrade Danesi Momoh Prince, accused Prof. Yilwatda of poor leadership and presiding over what it described as the steady decline of the APC’s popularity across the country.
“Under Nentawe’s leadership, the APC’s popularity continues to wane daily, making President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s re-election bid more difficult,” the statement read.
The youth group specifically faulted the APC National Chairman over his alleged handling of reports about Governor Mutfwang’s purported plans to defect to the party, accusing him of hypocrisy.
“If the defection of governors makes the party more popular, why is Nentawe preventing his own governor from joining the APC?” the group queried.
The group further described Yilwatda’s alleged comments that Mutfwang “lacks political value” as reckless and uninformed, insisting that every sitting governor commands influence in his state.
“For the National Chairman of a ruling party to think otherwise shows a poor understanding of Nigeria’s political terrain. He is still largely a political neophyte and unfit for the enormous responsibility of leading the APC,” the group asserted.
The group further alleged that since Yilwatda assumed office, the National Secretary of the party, Senator Surajudeen Ajibola Bashiru, had been running the affairs of the APC, citing the “mismanaged” Ekiti governorship primary election as an example of internal dysfunction under the current leadership.
They also accused Yilwatda of neglecting party staff, especially junior employees, claiming that many of them were planning a protest over poor welfare conditions.
“He lacks charisma, capacity, and the clout to command respect among party members. He has become an ‘oh yes’ chairman without direction,” the statement added.
But in a swift response, Kevin Pankshin, Personal Assistant to Prof. Yilwatda, dismissed the allegations and said the entire narrative around Governor Mutfwang’s defection to the APC was pure speculation and political mischief.
Pankshin, in a chat with Saturday Vanguard in Abuja, dismissed reports that the APC national chairman had rejected Mutfwang’s planned move to the ruling party, describing the claim as a fabrication being pushed by political opponents.
According to him, there has been no official communication or indication from Governor Mutfwang expressing interest in joining the APC, stressing that those spreading such rumours were doing so for mischief and political distraction.
“Who has ever said that Governor Mutfwang wants to join the APC and was rejected? Nobody has seen or heard that from any credible source. The whole thing exists only in the imagination of those who are desperate to stir division within the party,” Pankshin said.
He alleged that those behind the reports were elements within the opposition PDP who were uncomfortable with the rising influence of Prof. Yilwatda and were working to cause disaffection within the APC ahead of the 2027 general elections.
“No genuine APC member made those statements. These are people from the PDP trying to create confusion and make it look as if the APC is divided,” he added.
Pankshin explained that the cold reception some people may have for the idea of Mutfwang’s defection stems from the resentment among several political groups and individuals in Plateau State who felt marginalized or victimized by the governor’s policies.
He outlined a series of decisions by the Mutfwang administration that allegedly alienated large segments of the Plateau political class, including the dissolution of 17 local government chairmen, their deputies, secretaries, and over 325 elected councillors, as well as the dismissal of hundreds of supervisory councillors and thousands of political appointees.
“These are already disgruntled people. When you dissolve entire local government structures, demote Permanent Secretaries, and sack heads of tertiary institutions without due process, you create political enemies. Many of those affected were loyal APC members who are still bitter”, said Pankshin.
He added that the governor’s dismissal of thousands of young workers employed by the previous administration and his handling of certain state appointments had also deepened opposition to him among Plateau’s political base.
“Over 1,000 youths who were legitimately employed by the previous government were sacked, even after earning salaries for more than two years. They went to court and won their case. These people naturally feel betrayed,” he noted.
Pankshin maintained that such widespread discontent explains why many Plateau stakeholders view the speculation about Mutfwang’s possible entry into the APC with suspicion.
“Even if there is talk of him joining the APC, people have the right to express their feelings. It doesn’t mean the national chairman has anything personal against him,” he said.
He further clarified that Prof. Yilwatda as a democrat and leader, does not control or dictate the loyalty of party members in Plateau State.
“People are loyal to him, yes, but they are not controlled by him. He didn’t give birth to them biologically. Loyalty in politics is voluntary, it can shift at any time. The national chairman cannot impose decisions on people or stop anyone from expressing their opinions,” Pankshin explained.
He reiterated that the APC however remains open to genuine defectors who share its vision and values, but cautioned that “political redemption cannot come at the expense of justice and fair play.”
“For now, the talk of Governor Mutfwang joining the APC remains pure speculation,” he declared.
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