By Prince Daniel John Bok
Finally, the Executive Governor of Plateau State, His Excellency, Barr. Caleb Manasseh Mutfwang has officially raised the broom signaling his move to the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC.
The grand reception that took place at the Polo field in Jos ended months of speculation on Mutfwang’s frantic attempt to safeguard his political future since it is increasingly becoming obvious that the umbrella of Peoples’ Democratic Party, PDP, the party that brought him to power in 2023, is unlikely to withstand the storm brewing within its ranks at the national level.
Recall that in 2023, the PDP in Plateau State was swept out of office by a gale of court rulings by the appellate court who cited poor or lack of “structures” at the basic levels of the party across the state. As they argue in law, you cannot build something on nothing.
That was what the court relied on to uproot the party from the state.
However, we are told that it took the timely intervention of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the First Lady, Senator Remi Tinubu to secure the seat of Governor Mutfwang and some of his colleagues from being axed by the Supreme Court based on the aforementioned reason and so many others. Again, we are told that part of the deal to remain in office was for the governors to shift camp to the ruling APC before the 2027 general elections.
Whether those speculations were right or otherwise depends on the angle you are looking at it. But what is for sure is that the unfolding tsunami on the political landscape of Nigeria sweeping elected political office holders into the fold of the APC says little to discountenance this ‘gentleman’s agreement” supposedly entered between the ruling party and those elected on different political platforms. Ditto Governor Mutfwang.
In his speech during the grand reception to welcome him into the APC, Gov. Mutfwang disclosed that his defection was not a betrayal of the Plateau people’s mandate but, a frantic attempt at realigning with the power at the center for the common good of the people. he said his decision to join the APC was born out of the desire to bring to mainstream Plateau into the main political arena in the country.
The above statement credited to Mutfwang may not be unconnected with widespread insinuations that the state is traditionally the home of PDP and anything short of that may amount to a loss of confidence in the administration by the people who willingly gave him their mandate in 2023 to serve him.
With the benefit of hindsight, one can postulate that elections into the office of the governor in Plateau State is characterized by some determining factors. Particularly those of 2015 and 2023. In 2015, it was protest votes against the seeming imposition of a candidate by then Governor Jang that enabled Barr. Simon Lalong to ease into office.
Fast forward eight years after Lalong’s administration, it was somewhat a similar scenario that played out during the 2023 general elections when the electorate vehemently resisted what they perceived as the imposition of a candidate from a political party that was floating the Muslim-Muslim ticket at the detriment of the Christians in Nigeria. The best choice then was to go with candidates from the opposition PDP; after all, Plateau State is considered as a traditional PDP state because the birth of the party took place on the Plateau.
Sadly, the internal wrangling within the ranks of the PDP since after the party’s convention in 2022 has continued to heighten.
As a result, the future of party faithfuls particularly those nursing one form of ambition in 2027 under the aegis of the PDP appears to hang on the balance. Perhaps that informed the decision of most elected political officers under the platform of the PDP to ditch the party for the ruling APC.
Like Governor Caleb Mutfwang, the question begging for answers is, whether this strategic move to the APC will guarantee an automatic gubernatorial ticket for him in 2027?
We saw during the last stakeholders meeting of critical stakeholders of the APC in Plateau State where the former governor and now senator representing Plateau South, Senator Simon Lalong relinquishing his position as the party leader to the incumbent governor Mutfwang.
On the surface this seems to be a convenient arrangement for both the incoming members and “old timers” within the APC family in Plateau State. But like they say, twenty-four hours is a long time for alignment and realignment or concession and compromise to be achieved. So 2027 is perhaps a long time from now.
Aside the possibility of an implosion due to high influx of political gladiators into the APC folds in Plateau State and other states, the naysayers believe that the probability of the party to accommodate the interests of both newcomers and old timers is slim and fragile.
This fluidity is not unconnected with the assumption now that all the who is who in Plateau State have managed to get themselves bound by the band of the APC broom.
Grapevine gist holds that for the defected governor Mutfwang to actually consolidate his acceptance in the APC, some concessions must be made to accommodate the interests of those that have been in the party from the get go. But therein lies the slippery ground that Mutfwang and his co-travelers must avoid if this union consummated on the Polo ground is to flourish and blossom.
With the local government elections in Plateau State scheduled to hold in the later part of this year, the preparations, conduct and outcome of the said election is a huge determinant to how the turn out and outcome of the 2027 general elections in Plateau State will look like.
Prior to the council polls holding in September, the expected cabinet reshuffle by the Time is Now administration to make room for interests of their new “friends” is one move that could make or mar this union. This must be strategic and wide spread to accommodate the widened various interests’ blocs if Mutfwang is to have a smooth ride in picking the party’s gubernatorial ticket for 2027.
One other hurdle that will inevitably shape the governor’s automatic ride in the party for the 2027 elections will be his role in the upcoming party primaries and convention to elect officials of the party at all levels. This must be done to avoid any rancor and feeling of marginalization by any individual or group. It may seem as an herculean task but one that can be done.
And since disagreements in politics are inevitable, adequate measures must be put in place by the governor and his people to ensure that all grievances are addressed and timely too so that misunderstandings does not fester and linger for too long without redress.
On the whole, the administration must double efforts to prove to Plateau people that his move to APC was not a betrayal of the peoples’ mandate. And that can only be achieved with aggressive sensitization and enlightenment of the public and particularly the electorate because after all has been said and done, the people of Plateau State have the final say on whether Gov. Mutfwang will win his reelection or not in 2027.
The political space in Plateau State is heavily pregnant and the next nine months is crucial to the kind of child that will be birth.
Prince Daniel John Bok is a Public Affairs Analyst, and Publisher, National HORIZON Newsmagazine. He can be reached through: danielsnotepad79@gmail.com
