The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Plateau State has rejected claims by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) that Governor Caleb Mutfwang’s defection from the party constitutes a betrayal of public trust.
A statement on Saturday signed by the APC Acting Publicity Secretary, Shittu Bamaiyi, dismissed the PDP’s claims as “empty threats” and “ill-conceived,” noting that Mutfwang joined the APC with several key PDP members, including senators and local government chairmen.
Bamaiyi said: “If Governor Mutfwang did not consult as claimed by the PDP, how come he joined the APC with the party’s most important members? The press statement issued by the PDP’s godfather and leader, Senator Jonah Jang, is instructive, as it confirms the governor consulted him before moving out of the moribund party.”
The APC questioned whether PDP officials are “politically ineffective or being economical with the truth” regarding Mutfwang’s defection, describing the move as “calculative, measured, and popular.”
The statement added: “It would have been foolhardy for the governor to remain in the PDP given its current state. The claim that he betrayed the people’s trust is misplaced, especially as he and the leaders who joined him controlled more than 90% of the PDP followership. The APC has graciously received him, and he has the constitutional right to join any party of his choice.”
Bamaiyi concluded that the PDP’s threats are “of no effect,” and that scapegoating the APC is “totally misplaced.”
It would be recalled that Governor Mutfwang officially joined the APC and received membership card in Jos on Friday.
Reacting to the defection, the Plateau State PDP described his resignation as “a slap on the face of the people who trusted him against all odds.”
Addressing a press conference in Jos shortly after Mutfwang received his APC membership card, PDP State Publicity Secretary Choji Dalyop said it was unfortunate that the governor had prioritised personal ambition over the welfare of Plateau residents.
