The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Plateau State has challenged Governor Caleb Mutfwang to name those allegedly pressuring him to defect from the Peoples Democratic Party to the APC.
Over the weekend, Mutfwang informed an audience at the Government House banquet hall in Jos, the state capital, that some APC members had approached him about joining their party.
However, the governor insisted that only divine guidance and the will of the people who elected him could sway such a choice.
“It is not a lie that they are putting pressure on me. But I told them that only two people would authorize me to change my party. One is the God of heaven, and the other is you, the people.
“So, those who are rejecting me for what I did not seek are only hiding their desires. The truth is that 60 to 70 percent of APC members in the state would be glad to have us in their party. They are just biting their fingers because they know I won’t join them,” he added.
Shittu Bamaiyi, the APC’s acting press secretary in Jos, characterized the governor’s comments in an interview with reporters on Monday as “self-denial,” claiming the governor was attempting to distract attention from his administration’s inadequacies.
Bamaiyi contended that if Mutfwang had met the expectations of Plateau citizens, there would be no need for conversations regarding defection or political alignment.
“If he truly meant well for his supporters and the state, he should have courageously named those pressuring him and explained why,” he said.
“Whatever the case, it is a big minus for a sitting governor when the opposition openly objects to his joining its ranks, even when that party’s goal is to win future elections,” Bamaiyi added.
