• North-Central Forum faults Plateau leaders’ resolution rejecting gov
• Forum says Mutfwang’s defection backed by Villa power brokers
• APC chieftain accuses Matawalle of divisive politics as party dismisses claims
The All Progressives Congress (APC) is facing fresh internal wrangling as the North-Central Forum challenges Plateau leaders over moves to block Governor Caleb Mutfwang’s possible defection.
The Forum faulted a resolution passed at a stakeholders’ meeting in Jos on October 17, 2025, where party leaders, led by former Deputy National Secretary Festus Fuanter, endorsed a motion rejecting Mutfwang’s entry into the APC.
Their stance followed earlier calls by the North-Central APC Forum urging the Plateau governor to defect from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the APC.
Reacting to the resolution yesterday, the North-Central APC Forum, which comprises stakeholders from across the North-Central states, accused those opposing Mutfwang’s defection of acting out of selfish motives.
In a statement issued in Abuja by its Chairman, Saleh Zazzaga, a member of the APC campaign council in the 2023 elections, the Forum reiterated its appeal to Mutfwang to dump what it described as a “drowning” PDP.
The Forum also claimed that its members in Plateau were excluded from the stakeholders’ meeting where the anti-Mutfwang resolution was passed. According to the statement, most of those who endorsed the resolution “could not deliver their polling units for the APC during the last election but are now positioning themselves for federal appointments in President Bola Tinubu’s administration.”
The Forum alleged that the APC governorship running mate in Plateau during the 2023 election lost both his polling unit and ward to the PDP, yet is now among those leading the opposition to Mutfwang’s defection.
“It is not just about gathering to reject Governor Caleb Mutfwang. The real issue is who can win the governorship seat for the party? Among those so-called stakeholders that gathered to reject Governor Mutfwang, only a few are genuine, capable party members. It is not about selecting people from some ethnic nationalities for federal appointment. The question is, are they going to deliver?
“For example, in the previous election, the governorship running mate of the APC in Plateau State lost his polling unit and ward to the PDP. He got 2,800 votes in his ward, PDP got 10,600. And now he is among the people who don’t want Mutfwang to come to the party.
“Are these people that relevant that you will trust them again? They did not vote for Tinubu; they voted for Peter Obi, but now they are rushing to Abuja for federal appointment. It is only the APC National Chairman, Professor Nentawe Yilwatda, who won his local government for President Tinubu.
“We are agitating for people to come into the party and add value, but they are opposing this course due to their own personal interests. We are still agitating for Governor Mutfwang to come to the APC because of the problems in the PDP. All those people who are rejecting Mutfwang cannot win their polling units.
“We want to collectively join hands to win Plateau State for Tinubu. It is not about interests at this moment. It is only when you win an election that you start talking about interest.” The Forum further suggested that political appointments and rewards in the party should be based on electoral performance.
“Those rushing to Abuja for federal appointments should show the results from their polling units. In fact, we promise President Bola Tinubu that after the next election, we will publish the results from different polling units so that he will know who is who,” the statement added.
The Plateau APC had earlier criticised Mutfwang after the governor claimed at the weekend that he was under pressure to join the ruling party, dismissing his claim and challenging him to name those behind the alleged pressure.
However, the North-Central APC Forum maintained that Mutfwang’s claim was true, insisting that the pressure on him to defect is being supported by influential figures in the Presidential Villa.
“It is true that Governor Mutfwang has been under pressure to join the APC. We can confirm this because some influential figures in the Presidential Villa are behind our calls on him to come to the APC. We will not relent until we convince him to do the right thing, in the best interest of Plateau State and also in his own interest,” the statement said.
APC chieftain accuses Matawalle of divisive politics as party dismisses claims
MEANWHILE, a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress, Sani Abdullahi Shinkafi, has called on President Bola Tinubu and the party’s National Chairman, Nentawe Yilwatda, to caution the Minister of State for Defence, Bello Mohammed Matawalle, over his political activities in Zamfara State.
In a statement issued in Gusau, the state capital, Shinkafi warned that the APC risked another electoral defeat in Zamfara in 2027 if Matawalle failed to desist from what he described as “divide-and-rule politics”.
He alleged that the minister had turned his office into a governorship campaign base, using it to host defectors and consolidate control over the party’s structure in the state.
“It is worrisome that Matawalle, who ought to use his position as a former governor and current Minister of State for Defence to unite, stabilise, and strengthen the APC in Zamfara, is instead the one causing disaffection among party members ahead of the 2027 general election,” Shinkafi said.
He added that the minister had failed to learn from the “politics of bitterness and vendetta” that factionalised the APC and contributed to his defeat by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidatee, Dauda Lawal, in the last election.
However, the North-West zonal office of the APC advised Shinkafi to channel his grievances through the party’s internal mechanisms. Reacting to Shinkafi’s allegations during a press briefing in Kaduna, the APC Zonal Publicity Secretary, Musa Mailafiya Mada, said the party was embarrassed by the attempt to drag President Tinubu into an issue that could be handled internally.
“We were embarrassed as a party in the zone, especially for dragging the name of President Bola Tinubu, who is running one of the biggest democracies in Africa and the world,” Mada said. “The president has no time to intervene when we have officials and chieftains who can resolve any disputes.”
According to him, the party set up a committee to review Shinkafi’s claims. “From our preliminary findings, we discovered Shinkafi has been attacking Matawalle and the APC, while attending PDP meetings or supporting the PDP government in the state,” he said.
Mada noted that most of Shinkafi’s grievances appeared personal, adding that “the minister has not even said anything against him”. He questioned Shinkafi’s loyalty, asking whether he still belonged to the APC.
He urged Shinkafi to use the existing party structures to express his concerns, noting that committees had been established at the state, zonal, and national levels to handle members’ grievances.
Mada also appealed to former Zamfara State Governor and APC leader, Senator Ahmed Sani Yerima, to intervene in the rift. He urged Yerima to caution Shinkafi against anti-party activities and unsubstantiated allegations.
“The allegation he is raising is that the minister has been carrying out divisive activities against the party. But our findings say otherwise. As a party, we cannot take sides; we will be just to all,” he said.
Mada reminded party members that internal disputes should not be taken to the media. “The era of taking internal matters to the media must end. It only gives the opposition room to mock our unity,” he warned. He added that the APC leadership in the North-West had “zero tolerance for indiscipline” but would remain fair and just.
“Our message to party members across the North-West is clear: this is the time to close ranks and work together. No one should allow personal grievances or ambition to distract us from our shared mission of delivering good governance,” Mada said.
He commended President Tinubu for his leadership and commitment to strengthening the APC across all regions, adding that the North-West remained the heartbeat of the party.
