A fresh wave of controversy has hit the Plateau State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) following a call for Governor Caleb Mutfwang of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to defect to the ruling party.

The call, made by the North-Central APC Forum led by Saleh Zazzaga, has sparked sharp criticism from within the party. Zazzaga and his forum recently endorsed Governor Mutfwang for a second term, praising his performance and claiming his policies align closely with those of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. However, the APC Like Minds Political Forum strongly condemned the call, describing it as “reckless, malicious, and self-serving.”

In a statement, Zazzaga said the decision to adopt  Mutfwang was made during an expanded stakeholders’ meeting on Friday night.

The statement added that the forum announced the adoption of the Green Cap Movement, which is associated with the governor, for the 2027 governorship election and reaffirmed its earlier endorsement of President Tinubu for a second term.

The statement read, “We have decided to adopt the Green Cap Movement in Plateau because we believe the time is now.

“Although Mutfwang belongs to the PDP, we believe he is performing well and must be supported to succeed.

“Similarly, we are endorsing our President, Bola Tinubu, for 2027 because of his exceptional performance.”

But the APC Like Minds Political Forum, in a counter statement issued by Habibu Musa Sati and made available to The PUNCH on Sunday, argued that Zazzaga’s actions were a calculated attempt to derail the party’s efforts to reposition itself in the state.

It added that the APC had qualified personalities to lead the state in 2027.

The forum also questioned Zazzaga’s credibility, pointing out that he did not vote for the APC in the last general election and had been involved in controversies questioning his sincerity and integrity.

The group commended the Rufus Bature-led Plateau State executive for constituting a committee to investigate Zazzaga’s actions and called for his sanction.

The group further noted that Zazzaga’s action was a case of desperation, using the party platform to seek unnecessary attention to satisfy his paymasters.

The group passed a vote of confidence in Senator Simon Lalong and the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, Prof Nentawe Yilwatda, for their purposeful leadership.

The forum commended Yilwatda for implementing several significant reforms aimed at enhancing efficiency and impacting Nigerians positively.