The North-Central All Progressives Congress (APC) Forum has revealed that it is lobbying Plateau State Governor, Caleb Mutfwang, to defect from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the ruling APC—an effort it says is backed by the party’s national leadership.

However, the move has met stiff resistance from some Plateau APC leaders, who are wary that Mutfwang’s defection could shift the party structure in the state and hand him the 2027 governorship ticket.

Tensions escalated recently after the Forum adopted the Green Cap Movement—symbolic of Mutfwang’s political brand—as part of its mobilisation strategy for the 2027 polls in Plateau. Several APC leaders in the state have since described the move as anti-party and called for the suspension of the Forum’s Chairman, Alhaji Saleh Zazzaga.

The Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction and the APC’s 2023 governorship candidate in Plateau, Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda, has questioned Zazzaga’s loyalty and commitment to the party.

In a statement issued Sunday in Abuja, Zazzaga—who served on the APC Presidential Campaign Council in 2023—insisted that the Forum’s effort to bring Mutfwang into the APC was a directive from top leadership and aimed at strengthening the party across the North-Central.

“The North-Central APC Forum is warning those opposing Governor Caleb Mutfwang’s entry into the APC to desist from their unprogressive disposition. Our campaign is based on a directive from above,” the statement read.

Zazzaga said the Forum is acting in the best interest of the APC, adding that attempts to frustrate Mutfwang’s defection are, in fact, the real acts of anti-party activity.

“No form of intimidation or blackmail will stop us from our quest to get Governor Mutfwang into the APC. The party does not belong to anyone. As stakeholders, we believe progressives like Governor Mutfwang should be welcomed,” he said.

The Forum pointed to recent defections of Governors Sheriff Oborevwori (Delta) and Umo Eno (Akwa Ibom) to underscore a trend of opposition leaders joining the APC, and argued that Plateau State should not be left behind.

It said, “At present, Plateau is the only state in the North-Central not under APC control. Bringing Mutfwang into the fold will ensure accelerated development, especially with initiatives like the North-Central Development Commission championed by President Bola Tinubu.”

The Forum also noted Mutfwang’s warm relationship with President Tinubu, citing the governor’s presence at the president’s Sallah celebration in Lagos as an example of their growing rapport.

“Governor Caleb Mutfwang is a progressive. All right-thinking APC members in Plateau and the North-Central should support this noble cause,” the statement added.

The Forum further urged the Plateau APC executive committee to work with the state government and warned those behind the campaign to suspend its chairman, Zazzaga, that their actions are counterproductive.