Governor Caleb Mutfwang of Plateau State has dismissed reports that he signed a 60-40 cabinet-sharing formula before defecting from the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, to the All Progressives Congress, APC.

He insisted that no such agreement was reached between his administration and the APC hierarchy in the state.

The controversial agreement was raised by a group within the APC known as the “Legacy Group,” loyal to former Governor Simon Lalong, following a recent cabinet reshuffle carried out by Mutfwang.

The Legacy Group had condemned the cabinet reshuffle, which it said negated the terms of an agreement allegedly signed by the governor before he joined the APC.

The group had argued that under the terms of the agreement, its members should also have been included in the cabinet-sharing process.

However, while reacting to the alleged agreement, Mutfwang insisted that at no time did he enter into such an arrangement with the Lalong group, nor did he base his defection to the APC on the understanding that his cabinet appointments would be shared on such terms.

Mutfwang, who addressed what he described as a wild misconception during the swearing-in of three new commissioners on Friday at the Government House in Jos, denied ever promising to give 40 per cent of cabinet appointments to members of the Legacy Group.

“To correct some rumours that have been going around, the APC chairman is here; I never made any promise to share government positions since my journey to the APC. I made a commitment to share party positions. I never had an agreement to do a 60-40 per cent cabinet,” the governor said.

Mutfwang, however, noted that even after he joined the APC, those who had benefited most from appointments and party positions were members of the Legacy Group, even more than those who defected with him from the PDP.

He emphasised that 16 of the 24 APC House of Assembly candidates were members of the Legacy Group, while only eight joined the party alongside him from the PDP.

“The time has come when we must kill the dichotomy between the governance group and the Legacy Group. We are one big family.

“As I am talking to you today, out of the 24 members of the House of Assembly, 16 are APC Legacy members. Only eight who crossed with me became candidates for the House of Assembly. Are we fair?

“We have people who have been in the APC, but we bring them into government because we believe they have something to offer, not because they are APC members,” he added.

Brentford of England defender, Benjamin Chiemela Fredrick has been rated among some fast-growing African players regarded as ‘outsiders looking to challenge’ for recognition this season in the English Premier League, Sports247 reports.

Fredrick’s name appears in a survey that identified him as a young player who moved straight from the Nigerian Professional Football League (NPFL) into top-flight football in England, though he previously spent the 2025/2026 season on loan at Dender of Belgium.

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However, with the Super Eagles’ rookie now back in the mainframe at Brentford, his rating is soaring high, just five years after he moved from Simoiben Football Academy of Kaduna to ABS FC of Ilorin for the 2021/2022 season.

He made his debut for ABS in February 2022, after which he joined Nasarawa United of Lafia in October of the same year, following which the 21-year-old defender, who can play in central defence and right-back, signed for Brentford in August 2023 on loan with an option for a full contract.

That contract has now been fully activiated, thereby setting the stage for one of Nigeria’s most promising defenders to get his leap into full flight EPL action, ahead of which a survey by BBC Sport Africa rates him among lads from the continent aiming to create huge impacts in the season that began on Friday.

The survey begins with a look at African players who are most likely to hit high marks this season in the EPL, and which of them will step into star status after the exit of Mohamed Salah from Liverpool to Trabzonspor of Turkey, but no Nigerian player is named in the log.

While Alex Iwobi, Calvin Bassey, Ola Aina, Semi Ajayi and Taiwo Awoniyi fail to get a mention, the list is headed by Antoine Semenyo of Ghana and Manchester City, followed by Omar Marmoush (Egypt, Manchester City) as well as Bryan Mbeumo (Cameroon, Manchester United).

Also mentioned among Africa’s top-5 prospects tipped to shine this season in the EPL is Ismaila Sarr (Senegal, Crystal Palace), while those named alongside Fredricks among ‘the challenegers’ are Tottenham’s Mohammed Kudus, Everton’s Iliman Ndiaye and Yoane Wissa of Newcastle United.

The survey noted, “Benjamin Fredrick has just signed a four-year deal and been promoted to Brentford’s first-team squad. That rarest of things – a player signed by a Premier League side direct from Nigeria.

“He was enjoying a successful loan in Belgium last season and was due to be one of the Super Eagles’ starting centre-backs at AFCON until suffering a knee injury on the eve of the tournament.”