- Safiu Kehinde
The All Progressives Congress (APC) has recorded a total takeover of the North Central region as Plateau State Governor, Caleb Mutfwang, joined the ruling party.
This is coming two weeks after a group of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) supporters held a rally urging Mutfwang to join the APC.
The Plateau governor tend to have eventually bowed to the pressure as he defected from the PDP to the APC.
Mutfwang’s defection was announced by the APC National Chairman Nentawe Yilwatda during the party’s 14th National Caucus meeting at the State House Conference Centre in Abuja on Thursday.
According to reports, Yilwatda, a Plateau indigene and Mutfwang’s opponent in the 2023 governorship election, described the defection as a strategic gain for the party.
“With the defection of Governor Mutfwang, the entire North Central geopolitical zone is now fully under APC governance,” he told party leaders.
The Plateau governor’s defection now sees the North Central zone, comprising of other states like Benue, Nasarawa, Niger, Kogi and Kwara states, as well as the Federal Capital Territory, now under the full control of the APC.
While Mutfwang is yet to issue a personal statement explaining his decision, sources close to him cited alignment with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration and the need for political stability as key factors behind the move.