The North-Central All Progressives Congress Forum has stated that the party’s national chairman, Professor Nentawe Yilwatda, lacks the authority to prevent Governor Caleb Mutfwang of Plateau State from joining the APC. The Forum has been actively campaigning for Mutfwang to defect from the Peoples Democratic Party to the APC, despite opposition from the party’s leaders in Plateau.
On October 17, 2025, a stakeholders meeting convened by Plateau APC leaders endorsed a motion opposing Mutfwang’s possible defection to the party. The North-Central APC Forum alleges that Yilwatda is behind the moves to stop Mutfwang from joining the APC, citing his intention to contest the governorship poll again in 2027. Yilwatda was the APC governorship candidate in Plateau in the 2023 election but lost to Mutfwang of the PDP.
In a statement, the North-Central APC Forum described Yilwatda’s actions as a disgrace to himself, the party, and the people of Plateau State. The statement, signed by Chairman Alhaji Saleh Zazzaga, emphasized that only Mutfwang’s ward in the Mangu area of Plateau has the power to admit the governor into the party. The Forum argued that Yilwatda’s role as national chairman does not extend to admitting new members, and his attempts to block Mutfwang are against the APC constitution.
The Forum suggested that Mutfwang has yet to join the APC because he is still consulting, and not due to opposition from Yilwatda’s camp. It noted that the people of Plateau State are already in support of the governor and will back him in whatever decision he takes. The Forum urged the party’s chapter in Mutfwang’s Mangu Ward to publicly invite the governor to join the party, emphasizing that alleged intimidation by Yilwatda cannot stop them from pushing for Mutfwang to come to the party.
The development highlights the ongoing power struggle within the APC, with the North-Central Forum calling on Yilwatda to respect the party’s constitution and allow Mutfwang to make his own decision about joining the party. As the situation unfolds, it remains to be seen whether Mutfwang will ultimately join the APC and what implications this may have for the party’s leadership and future elections in Plateau State.