The North-Central All Progressives Congress, APC, Forum has declared that the party’s national chairman, Professor Nentawe Yilwatda, has no right to stop Governor Caleb Muftwang of Plateau State from joining the party.
The North-Central APC Forum has been campaigning for Mutfwang to defect from the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, to the APC but the party’s leaders in Plateau are opposing the move.
On October 17, 2025, a stakeholders meeting convened by Plateau APC leaders endorsed a motion, moved by former Deputy National Secretary, Barrister Festus Fuanter, which opposed Mutfwang’s possible defection to the party.
The North-Central APC Forum has alleged that Yilwatda is behind the moves to stop Muftwang from joining the APC.
Yilwatda was APC governorship candidate in Plateau in the 2023 election but lost to Muftwang of the PDP. The North-Central APC Forum has also alleged that the APC national chairman is working against Mutfwang’s coming to the party because of his intention to contest the governorship poll again in 2027.
In a statement on Tuesday, the North-Central APC Forum said Yilwatda does not understand the role of party national chairman, describing his actions as a disgrace to himself, the party and the people of Plateau State.
The statement, signed by Chairman of the Forum, Alhaji Saleh Zazzaga, a member of the APC campaign council in the 2023 election, insisted that only Mutfwang’s ward in the Mangu area of Plateau has the power to admit the governor into the party.
Parts of the statement read, “The national chairman of the party has no role to play in bringing Governor Caleb Mutfwang to the APC. It is only Mutfwang’s ward in Mangu that has the right to admit him as a member of the party. The national chairman should stop sponsoring groups to go to the media and to stage protests just to stop Muftwang from coming. He is disgracing himself and the party because this shows that he does not know the role of a party national chairman. He should be made to understand that he has no role to play in bringing the governor to the party. If Muftwang joins APC today, automatically he becomes the leader of the party in Plateau State.
“The national chairman should try to learn how to conduct himself as a political leader, he does not know how to address political gatherings, that is why at functions he attends, he is not giving due recognition as previous national chairmen. The party members are not willing to embrace him and identify with him because they know he lacks the capacity to lead the party.
“So we, as stakeholders of the North-Central, advise him to stop undermining the office of national chairman and bringing dishonour to himself and Plateau State by sponsoring the campaign to stop Governor Mutfwang from coming to APC. He should stop using his position to harass and threaten to expel those who are calling on Muftwang to come to APC, which we believe is in the interest of the party.”
The Forum suggested that Muftwang is yet to join APC because he is still consulting, and not because of the opposition from Yilwatda’s camp.
It however declared that the people of the state are already with the governor and will back him in whatever decision he takes.
“For over two years now we have been trying to convince Muftwang to come to APC and he is doing his own consultations before taking a decision otherwise Professor Yilwatda has no right to stop him if he decides to come today. Muftwang has been accepted by the people of Plateau because of his good works and developmental initiatives. He is a true son of Plateau who is trying to defend the heritage of the people.
“The people of Plateau State understand both of them that is why they chose Muftwang over Yilwatda in 2023. Professor Yilwatda was the chosen government candidate in the election but he lost to Muftwang; he failed woefully despite all the attempts to manipulate the election. The people rejected him. Even the leaders he is thinking are with him now are with Muftwang.”
Noting that Yilwatda’s alleged attempts to block Muftwang are against the APC constitution, the North-Central Forum urged the party’s chapter in Muftwang’s Mangu Ward to publicly invite the governor to join the party.
The Forum insisted that alleged intimidation by Yilwatda cannot stop it from pushing for Muftwang to come to the party.
The statement added, “The fact of the matter is the national chairman has no right to stop Muftwang from coming. He is just sponsoring people to protest and do or say things that will discourage Muftwang from joining APC, which is even against the Constitution of the party that made him who is today.
“But the actions of those he is sponsoring cannot stop Muftwang if he makes up his mind today. We are calling on the APC chapter in Governor Mutfwang’s ward to come out publicly to ask him to join the party.
“The leaders of Plateau State are with Muftwang. What the people of Plateau State need is what we want. Professor Nentawe is trying to revoke our certificate of registration but it was that same certificate that gave us the right to agitate for the position of national chairman to return to North-Central, which led to his appointment. He is using his position to try to silence us but we are not going to be intimidated.”