A stalwart of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Yakubu Dati, has stated that the defection of Plateau State Governor Caleb Mutfwang to the ruling party would strengthen President Bola Tinubu’s chances of winning the 2027 election.
Dati, while addressing reporters over the weekend, asserted that Mutfwang’s defection would enable him to align with the centre and the leadership provided by Tinubu.
The APC stalwart said it would consolidate more grounds for the President and his party ahead of the next general election.
Dati said it would also provide political comfort to deepen development, capacity, and strategic negotiation.
According to him, “No doubt, alignment with the centre, especially for a leader like President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, provides political comfort to deepen more development buoyed by leadership capacity and strategic negotiation.
“Defections also consolidate power, as governors rarely move alone. They do so with their legislators, commissioners, and local government officials. This is a plus for the ruling party as this strengthens its position ahead of 2027.”
The APC stalwart said Governor Mutfwang’s defection is necessary for further development of Plateau State.
Dati said that now that the Plateau State governor has joined the APC, there is an assurance from political players to eschew the politics of sentiment and transition into the mainstream of Nigeria’s politics.
He said, “This action by Governor Mutfwang, while definitely aligning Plateau with the ruling party at the federal level, will also unlock greater access to resources, accelerate development projects, and foster national policy influence.
“The realignment is also laden with the prospects of reducing partisan friction while enabling smoother governance and faster implementation of infrastructure and security initiatives.”