By Israel Adamu, Jos
The North-Central All Progressives Congress (APC) Forum has accused President Bola Tinubu of appointing individuals from Plateau State who allegedly did not contribute to his victory in the 2023 general elections. The Forum made the claim in a statement on Thursday while reacting to the rejection of Governor Caleb Mutfwang’s potential defection to the APC by party leaders in the state.
The Forum, which has been campaigning for Mutfwang, a Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governor, to join the APC ahead of the 2027 elections, expressed concern that key stakeholders in Plateau APC have opposed the move. It noted that these same leaders are benefiting from national appointments despite allegedly failing to deliver their polling units during the last election.
The statement, signed by Alhaji Saleh Zazzaga, a member of the APC Presidential Campaign Council in 2023, urged President Tinubu to intervene and ensure that loyal party members are rewarded appropriately.
According to the Forum, individuals receiving federal appointments from Plateau State are “not those who worked for the President’s victory.” It added that many of them lost their polling units to opposition candidates, including Labour Party’s Peter Obi.
Professor Nentawe Yilwatda, APC’s 2023 governorship candidate in Plateau and recently appointed APC National Chairman, was cited as one of the beneficiaries of federal appointments. Tinubu also recently nominated Dr. Bernard Mohammed Doro as a minister from Plateau State, replacing Yilwatda, who previously served as Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction.
The Forum further pointed out that even the running mate of the APC governorship candidate—who also lost his polling unit and ward—is being considered for federal appointment.
“We want to inform President Bola Tinubu that he is making wrong appointments in Plateau State,” the statement reads. “Those who worked for him are being left stranded, while those who did not even vote for him are getting big appointments at the national level.”
The Forum alleged that the individuals opposing Mutfwang’s defection are doing so out of personal ambition for the 2027 elections, despite lacking the political strength to defeat the governor.
It accused them of attempting to block efforts to bring Mutfwang into the APC, which the Forum believes would strengthen the party’s chances in the next election cycle. The group insisted that Mutfwang is the only figure capable of delivering the “six million votes” earlier promised to President Tinubu from the North-Central region.
“These people did not vote for President Tinubu,” the Forum insisted. “Most of them are not politically active and have never served as delegates. Yet they are getting big federal appointments even when they lack political experience.”
The Forum appealed to President Tinubu to review election results from Plateau polling units to verify its claims and to caution those allegedly frustrating its efforts.
It warned that continued resistance from Plateau APC leaders could undermine party unity ahead of 2027. “We don’t want any cracks in the internal affairs of the APC,” the statement added. “That is why we are urging Mr. President to intervene quickly.”
