By Israel Adamu, Jos
A political group under the aegis of *Renewed Hope Advocates of Nigeria (RHAN)* has urged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to intervene in what it described as the “growing political missteps” of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Plateau State and to call the party’s National Chairman, Professor Nentawe Yilwatda, to order.
The group made the call in a statement signed by its National Coordinator, Comrade Prince Miaphen, and made available to journalists in Jos on Saturday.
Miaphen expressed concern over a recent stakeholders’ meeting held in Jos, where a motion was reportedly adopted to bar Governor Caleb Mutfwang of Plateau State from joining the APC. The meeting, chaired by Professor Yilwatda, also endorsed President Tinubu for a second term in 2027.
According to RHAN, the decision to block Governor Mutfwang’s potential defection contradicted President Tinubu’s inclusive leadership style and the party’s broader national strategy.
“The same meeting that enthusiastically endorsed your second term bid paradoxically decided to block a sitting governor who could have been one of your strongest electoral assets in the North Central region,” the statement read. “This contradiction speaks volumes about the growing disconnect between the Plateau APC leadership and your strategic national vision.”
Miaphen argued that the APC’s strength under Tinubu’s administration has been built on “political inclusion and bridge-building,” citing examples of governors from Cross River, Ebonyi, Zamfara, Enugu, and Akwa Ibom who have aligned with or shown strong support for the APC in recent years.
“It therefore defies logic that the National Chairman of the APC — whose foremost responsibility should be to expand the party’s reach — is instead shrinking its horizon in his own home state,” RHAN stated.
The group described Plateau as a politically strategic state with over 2.5 million registered voters, warning that alienating the sitting governor could have severe political consequences for the party in 2027.
“Rather than convening meetings to block Governor Mutfwang, Professor Nentawe should be holding strategic engagements to woo him and his supporters into the APC,” the statement added. “It makes little sense that the National Chairman’s own governor remains in the opposition.”
RHAN further recalled that during the 2023 elections, the APC lost Plateau State despite having a sitting governor, Simon Bako Lalong, as the Director-General of Tinubu’s Presidential Campaign Council. The group warned that internal disunity could once again undermine the President’s reelection prospects if not addressed promptly.
“It is widely believed that Professor Nentawe still harbours resentment over his 2023 governorship loss and may be positioning himself for another attempt in 2027,” the statement claimed. “If true, this raises questions about his objectivity and his commitment to the President’s success.”
Miaphen reaffirmed that Plateau people remain strong supporters of President Tinubu, recalling his interventions during crises and his appointment of several Plateau indigenes to key national positions.
“The least we can do in return is to ensure Plateau delivers massively for you in 2027,” RHAN declared. “But that will be impossible if internal saboteurs are allowed to weaponize party structures against genuine political expansion.”
The group therefore appealed to President Tinubu to “call Professor Nentawe Yilwatda and the Plateau APC caucus to order,” stressing that their recent actions do not reflect the President’s inclusive politics of unity and progress.
