The North-Central All Progressives Congress (APC) Forum has reiterated its call for Plateau State Governor, Caleb Mutfwang, to leave the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and join the APC.

In a statement issued after a meeting in Abuja on Friday, the forum’s chairman, Alhaji Saleh Zazzaga, emphasized the importance of Mutfwang aligning with the ruling party. The statement, made available to journalists on Saturday, urged the governor to switch allegiance before the next APC congress and assume leadership of the party in Plateau State.

This latest appeal follows a formal invitation extended to Mutfwang in April 2024, shortly after the Supreme Court upheld his election as governor. At the time, the forum also notified the APC’s national leadership of its intent to welcome him into the party.

As part of the push to draft Mutfwang into the APC, the North-Central APC Forum, had in March 2024 held a closed-door meeting in Abuja with leaders and chieftains of the party in Plateau State. The meeting, convened by Chairman of the North-Central APC Forum, Alhaji Saleh Zazzaga, was convened to strategize on the plan to poach Mutfwang from the PDP.

In December 2024, there were rumours that Mutfwang has defected to the APC. The rumours followed the circulation of Mutfwang’s photograph among those of APC governors during the September 2024 governorship election in Edo State.

Mutfwang, however, distanced himself from the rumours, and reaffirmed his membership of the PDP, in a statement released by his Director of Press and Public Affairs, Gyang Bere.

However, the APC has not given up in its pursuit of Mutfwang, with the North-Central APC Forum issuing a fresh invitation to the governor in a statement on Thursday.

The APC Forum, which said the invitation was prompted by Mutfwang’s performance in office, appealed to the governor to join the party before the next congress.

It equally stressed that joining the APC would put Mutfwang on the same page with President Bola Tinubu, and further solidify his good working relationship with the President.

The statement added that joining APC will give Mutfwang the opportunity to join hands with the President to deliver the dividends of democracy to the people of Plateau State.

Parts of the statement read, “The North-Central All Progressives Congress, APC, Forum, after a stakeholders meeting in Abuja, has once again resolved to invite Governor Caleb Mutfwang of Plateau State to join the All Progressives Congress.

“This invitation is prompted by Governor Mutfwang’s good works and achievements in office. Joining the APC will give Governor Mutfwang the opportunity to join hands with Mr President to deliver the dividends of democracy to the people of Plateau State.

“After serious deliberations, the meeting convened by the North-Central APC Forum agreed that Governor Mutfwang joining the APC is in the best interest of Plateau State and the entire North-Central, as Plateau is the only state in the geopolitical zone that is not governed by the APC.

“Having the governor of Plateau State as a member of the APC would ensure streamlined development of the entire North-Central, as all the states would align with the Renewed Hope Agenda of the President Tinubu-led Federal Government.”

The statement noted that the North-Central APC Forum had in the past invited the governor to join the party.

“In 2024, we sent a letter to Governor Mutfwang inviting him to join the APC. We also sent a letter to the National Secretariat of our party, notifying the national leadership of the APC of the invitation sent to Governor Mutfwang.

“At this point, we are renewing the call on Governor Mutfwang to join the APC by inviting him again to come on board and take up the leadership of the party in Plateau State before the next congress.”

The APC Forum added that, due to the crisis in the PDP, Mutfwang risks losing out in the 2027 elections if he does not take up the invitation to join the APC immediately.

“It is evident that the PDP is drowning as a result of series of crises rocking the party. Governor Mutfwang should not wait to drown with the party.

“We are calling on Governor Mutfwang to join the APC without delay, to avoid the crisis in the PDP derailing his fortunes in the 2027 election,” the statement added.

Parts of the letter titled, ‘Invitation of Governor Caleb Mutfwang of Plateau State to join APC’, dated 16th April, 2024, written by the North-Central APC Forum to the party’s national secretariat, reads: “It is pertinent to formally notify you of our invitation to Governor Caleb Mutfwang to join the APC. A formal letter to this effect will also be delivered to him, Plateau State APC, and his ward in the Mangu local government area.

“We have had several consultations and met with many chieftains of our party from Plateau State and the North Central region, in general, to work out modalities on reaching out to the governor. Mutfwang is the only governor from the North Central who is not of the APC, and it is necessary to bring him on board so that he can be on the same page with his other counterparts in the North-Central.

“The call for Mutfwang to join the APC has become necessary after reviewing the state of our party in the North-Central region, the position of Plateau State governor, which is vital in the political equation and calculation of the APC in the region, and the nation by extension.

“This will also enable the APC to reclaim Plateau State, which we lost to the PDP in the 2023 election after being in charge since 2015. Otherwise, the PDP could take undue advantage of its success over our party and spread its tentacles to other states. Again, Mutfwang has been having a tremendous working relationship with our leader, President Bola Tinubu, and it is vital to capitalize on this to bring him to the party.”