The All Progressives Congress, APC, has tightened its grip on Nigeria’s political space following the defection of Plateau State Governor, Mr Caleb Mutfwang, a development that has pushed the ruling party’s control to 28 states and heightened concerns over the shrinking influence of opposition parties ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Mutfwang’s defection, which took place on Friday, comes on the heels of a similar move by Rivers State Governor, Mr Siminalayi Fubara, who joined the APC in December. The development has further altered the country’s political equation, with indications that Kano State Governor, Abba Yusuf, may also be on his way to the ruling party amid the lingering crisis rocking the New Nigeria Peoples Party, NNPP.
The Kano APC has openly confirmed that Governor Yusuf’s defection is imminent, raising the prospect of the ruling party extending its dominance to 29 states in the coming days. Political watchers say the unfolding scenario has fuelled renewed debate about the possibility of Nigeria drifting towards a one-party system.
Checks indicate that the APC’s growing influence has been boosted by defections from states traditionally regarded as strongholds of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, particularly in the South-South and South-East zones. With the latest shifts, the PDP is now left governing only Oyo, Bauchi, Zamfara and Adamawa states, while the Labour Party, All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA, and Accord Party control the remaining states.
Mutfwang pledges support for Tinubu
During a ceremony at the Rayfield Government House in Jos, Governor Mutfwang was formally presented with his APC membership card by the Plateau State chairman of the party, Mr Rufus Bature. The governor used the occasion to pledge his loyalty to President Bola Tinubu and promised to deliver one million additional votes for the President in the 2027 election.
Mutfwang said he was convinced about Tinubu’s leadership and determination to address Nigeria’s challenges, even though the pace of progress may not have met public expectations. According to him, joining the APC would enable him to contribute more effectively to national discourse and ensure Plateau State is well represented at the centre.
He emphasised unity and reconciliation, noting that members of the PDP he left behind were not enemies but friends and brothers. He assured that his administration would continue to respect elders, empower women and youths, and carry all segments of society along.
The governor attributed his political journey to divine providence, describing his alignment with key APC figures as evidence that “God is a miracle worker.”
Several APC heavyweights attended the ceremony, including former Plateau governors, Joshua Dariye and Simon Lalong, as well as the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, Mr Bernard Doro.
Opposition dismisses panic
Despite the growing wave of defections, opposition parties have played down fears that their structures are collapsing. The PDP insisted that political dominance is determined at the polls, not by defections of office holders.
Speaking on the development, the party’s spokesman, Mr Ini Ememobong, argued that governors and lawmakers who defect merely move as individuals, stressing that party strongholds can only be tested during elections. He maintained that democracy is a game of numbers and that election results, not political manoeuvring, define control.
Ememobong also raised moral concerns, saying defecting office holders carry the burden of abandoning the party platform on which they were elected, adding that voters entered a social contract with political parties, not individuals.
On its part, the NNPP said it was not worried by speculation surrounding Governor Abba Yusuf’s planned defection. While reports suggest that several lawmakers, local government chairmen and political appointees may follow the governor to the APC, the party’s national leadership said consultations were ongoing.
The NNPP National Publicity Secretary, Mr Ladipo Johnson, described the situation as a normal feature of democratic politics, insisting that clarity would soon emerge. However, internal divisions deepened as a faction of the party claimed that both Yusuf and its 2023 presidential candidate, Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, had been suspended or expelled, asserting that their exit would not affect the party.
NNPP dissolves Kano executive
Meanwhile, the NNPP National Working Committee has dissolved its Kano State executive, as well as all local government and ward leadership structures, ahead of the anticipated defection of Governor Yusuf. The party said a caretaker committee would be constituted to stabilise its affairs in the state.
