The North-Central All Progressives Congress (APC) Forum has criticised President Bola Tinubu over recent federal appointments allotted to Plateau State, insisting that key beneficiaries neither supported nor delivered votes for the President in the 2023 elections.
In a statement on Thursday, the Forum reacted to the decision of Plateau APC leaders to reject a possible defection by Governor Caleb Mutfwang of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). The group has been openly campaigning for Mutfwang to join the APC ahead of the 2027 general elections, but local party leaders have opposed the move.
Signed by Alhaji Saleh Zazzaga, a member of the APC’s 2023 Presidential Campaign Council, the Forum accused some Plateau APC stakeholders of blocking efforts to bring Mutfwang into the party while benefiting from national appointments they did not work for.
According to the Forum, those currently being nominated from Plateau “did not even win their polling units” in the last election, with several reportedly losing to Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi. Despite this, they continue to secure prominent federal positions.
Professor Nentawe Yilwatda, the APC’s 2023 governorship candidate in Plateau and a two-time federal appointee under Tinubu’s administration, was highlighted as a key beneficiary. He initially served as Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction before becoming APC national chairman. His replacement as minister, Dr. Bernard Mohammed Doro, was recently nominated by the President.
The Forum argued that many of the appointees lack grassroot support or political experience, claiming they “are not even politically active” and have never served in roles such as party delegates.
It urged Tinubu to personally intervene, stressing that genuine party loyalists who delivered votes were being sidelined. “Those who worked for him are not being given appointments… while those who did not even vote for him are getting big appointments,” the statement said.
Maintaining its push for Mutfwang’s defection, the group said the governor has the political strength needed to help the APC secure the “six million votes” the Forum promised Tinubu from the North-Central region in 2027.
It added that Plateau APC leaders resisting Mutfwang’s entry were doing so for selfish political ambitions ahead of the next election. The Forum insisted they lack the capacity to defeat the governor in any contest.
The group called on the President to “check the results from all their polling units” to verify its claims and warned that continued resistance to Mutfwang’s defection could create avoidable internal divisions within the party.
