Jos, the Plateau State capital, is set for a major political event today as Governor Caleb Mutfwang formally defects from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
The defection ceremony will take place at the Polo Ground in Jos, where Vice President Kashim Shettima is expected to lead top party leaders to officially receive the governor into the APC.
Among dignitaries billed to attend are the APC National Chairman, Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda, Senate President Godswill Akpabio, Speaker of the House of Representatives Tajudeen Abbas, former Plateau State Governor Simon Lalong, and members of the Progressive Governors’ Forum (PGF), led by Imo State Governor Hope Uzodimma.
Mutfwang will receive the APC flag alongside his deputy, Josephine Piyo, members of the Plateau State House of Assembly, commissioners, advisers, local government chairmen and several PDP stalwarts who are also defecting with him.
With the move, the governor automatically becomes the APC leader in the state and is expected to spearhead party mobilisation, including the rollout of e-membership registration.
READ ALSO: JUST IN: Plateau Governor Mutfwang Formally Joins APC
Speaking on the development, the governor’s Director of Media and Public Affairs, Dr. Gyang Bere, said residents were enthusiastic about the political shift because of its potential impact on development.
He said the defection would strengthen political unity in the North Central region and usher in new opportunities for addressing key challenges such as infrastructure and security. According to him, the move would also deepen ties between Plateau State and the Federal Government, while restoring public confidence in the Renewed Hope Agenda.
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Bere added that the benefits of increased federal support and political harmony were significant for the state’s growth.
Meanwhile, a civic group, Plateau Vanguard for Democracy (PVD), also welcomed the development, describing it as a turning point for unity and progress in the state.
The group urged political leaders and residents to see the governor’s defection as an opportunity to move beyond years of political division and focus on peace, development and inclusive governance.
Its chairman, Christopher Ishaku, described the move as a strategic repositioning capable of transforming rivalry into cooperation.
He said, “We should see this moment as one in which valuable assets that had been deployed in political brinkmanship will now be channelled toward the development of Plateau State.”
Ishaku noted that uniting the governor’s political structure with former rivals in the APC would create a stronger platform for tackling Plateau’s long-standing problems.
He added, “The defection of the governor will consolidate the different tendencies in the state into a cohesive body that will ultimately make Plateau better.”
He further stressed that cooperation among political leaders mattered more than rigid party loyalties, saying the new political alignment could serve as a catalyst for healing divisions and delivering real improvements in security, the economy and infrastructure.
