Plateau State Governor, Caleb Mutfwang, has revealed that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu personally invited him to defect from the Peoples Democratic Party to the ruling All Progressives Congress.
Naijaonpoint reports that Mutfwang made the disclosure on Thursday shortly after officially defecting to the APC.
According to the governor, the President had extended the invitation to him on several occasions, but he initially turned it down out of respect for his political convictions.
“I pay my respects to President Tinubu for honouring our earlier decisions not to move to the APC and still maintaining a cordial relationship with us despite that,” Mutfwang said.
He spoke during a meeting with political appointees and stakeholders at the Government House in Jos.
Mutfwang disclosed that beyond the President’s overtures, several influential figures, including fellow APC governors, had also tried to persuade him to defect.
He said despite the pressure, he stood by his decision to remain in the PDP until recent developments forced a rethink.
The governor said his eventual decision to leave the PDP was driven by unresolved structural problems within the party at the national level.
“Until recently, when it became clear that the PDP at the national level has undeniable problems with its structure, the need to decamp to another party was already quieted,” he said.
“We have zero challenges at the state level but all our efforts are vain without a solid structure at the national level.”
Mutfwang said the risks associated with remaining in the PDP had become too high to ignore.
“The risks involved in staying back in the PDP are too high for us to carelessly gamble with the mandate Plateau people gave us,” he said.
“No one can tell reassuringly when and how the crisis will end, or what wins or losses could be incurred.”
He added that his administration could not afford to expose the people of Plateau to another period of political uncertainty.
“Bearing in mind the emotional torture our dear people went through, we can’t, by our actions or inactions, subject ourselves to another experience like that,” he said.
The governor noted that political experience had taught him that winning elections was only part of the challenge.
“History has taught me that it is one thing to be voted massively, and another to make sure the votes count,” he said.
Mutfwang said his decision was not motivated by personal gain but by respect for President Tinubu and the manner in which the Tinubu-led administration had engaged Plateau State.
“Although we’ve had our issues with Plateau APC, we can’t deny the favour and cordiality with which the Tinubu-led administration has related with us,” he said.
He added that since the President did not attempt to force him into the APC while the PDP crisis deepened, it was reasonable to consider the ruling party.
The governor said joining the APC would open doors for Plateau State to benefit more from the Federal Government.
“We have a chance to attract and be entitled to so many good things, from appointments, to favours that will richly impact Plateau. Is it really wisdom to forfeit all that? No!” he said.