By Muhammad Mamman
In a dramatic political shift that deepens the crisis within Nigeria’s main opposition party, Plateau State Governor Caleb Mutfwang has formally defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), the party announced on Friday.
The announcement was made by APC National Chairman Nentawe Yilwatda at the ruling party’s 14th National Caucus meeting held at the State House Conference Centre in Abuja, where he described the defection as a tactical gain for the APC and a consolidation of its strength in the North-Central geopolitical zone.
Yilwatda said Mutfwang’s defection strengthens the APC’s dominance across the region, where the party now controls all state governorships, underscoring its political advantage ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Governor Mutfwang, who was elected under the PDP banner in the 2023 gubernatorial election, now joins a growing list of high-profile politicians who have left the opposition for the ruling party in recent months.
The development represents a symbolic blow to the PDP, which has seen several of its governors defect to the APC this year, further reducing the opposition party’s foothold nationally.
Supporters of the APC’s move argue that Mutfwang’s alignment with the ruling party could bring more federal support and development to Plateau State, while critics warn that such defections are eroding Nigeria’s multiparty political balance.
The APC leadership also used the occasion to call on its members to complete electronic registration by January 30, 2026, as part of efforts to deepen internal party democracy and strengthen its grassroots structures.
As reactions continue to pour in from political actors and civil society, the fallout from Mutfwang’s defection is expected to reverberate through Nigeria’s political landscape in the months ahead.
