Plateau APC Jittery over Governor Mutfwang’s Soaring Popularity

Nigeria

Like a gathering storm on the Plateau skyline, unease is quietly sweeping through the ranks of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Plateau State, as Governor Caleb Manasseh Mutfwang’s rising political profile, particularly with the masses at the grassroot continues to send ripples across the party ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Insiders within the Plateau APC confided that some party stalwarts have been making covert overtures to Governor Mutfwang, urging him to abandon the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and pitch his tent with them. Their growing concern, it is said, stems from the fear that the APC may once again face a crushing defeat at the polls if the governor maintains his strong grip on the Plateau electorate.

However, the governor, who is widely regarded as a man of conviction, has so far turned a deaf ear to such propositions. Mutfwang has consistently maintained that his political journey is divinely guided and anchored on the will of the Plateau people. In his words, “I am PDP through and through.”

A House Divided

Reliable sources disclosed that a recent APC stakeholders’ meeting in Jos nearly turned into a shouting match after a motion was tabled urging the party to intensify efforts to woo Governor Mutfwang. Although the motion initially met stiff resistance, intense backdoor lobbying later swayed a few members to its side.

While the gathering unanimously reaffirmed support for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s second-term ambition, it was clear that not everyone was reading from the same hymn sheet. Several members insisted that the party must “leave no stone unturned” in trying to bring Mutfwang back to the APC fold, arguing that his political clout could be the saving grace for a party currently struggling to find its footing in Plateau politics.

But not everyone was on board. A faction of influential members reportedly warned that if the governor were to cross over, he would instantly become the undisputed leader of the APC in the State, an outcome they fear could sweep away their current influence and privileges like a flood on the Plateau plains. As one source put it, “You don’t invite a lion into your house and expect to remain king of the jungle.”

Mutfwang Stands Firmdrama playing

Interestingly, just a day before the APC parley, Governor Mutfwang convened a PDP stakeholders’ session in Jos, where he reaffirmed his unflinching loyalty to the party and dismissed rumors of any planned defection as mere political gossip. He reiterated that his eyes remain fixed on the task of delivering good governance and deepening the PDP’s grassroots presence across the state.

Political analysts believe the outcome within the Plateau APC mirrors a house divided against itself. They argue that the party’s inability to regain public trust since the 2023 elections has left it vulnerable, despite the national chairman hailing from the state.

For now, Governor Mutfwang appears to be sitting comfortably on the saddle, with his political stock soaring higher by the day. As one seasoned observer quipped, “When a tree bears good fruit, even those who once cursed its roots will come seeking shade beneath its branches.”

Indeed, if the APC cannot put its house in order soon, 2027 may once again prove that, in politics as in life, you can’t beat something with nothing.