I dumped PDP because it’s no longer a viable platform

•Attempt to expel some party leaders in Ibadan deepened PDP crisis

•Plateau becoming jewel of the crown in the North Central

By Henry Umahi

At an interaction with Governor Caleb Mutfwang in Jos, the Plateau State capital in July last year, this reporter had asked him if he would follow the footsteps of other People’s Democratic Party (PDP) governors to defect to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC). He said he would never abandon the party, insisting that Plateau was a historically PDP state.

However, Mutfwang did a U-turn and joined the APC. After the governor’s official welcome to the APC on January 27 in Jos, he spoke with some senior journalists and explained why he took that decision, among other issues.

You said you would never abandon PDP for the APC. Now, here we are. So what happened?

To be honest with you, in July to be precise, the President reached out to me and asked me to consider coming over to the APC. I politely declined because my assessment then of the political dynamics of the Plateau was that the Plateau could only be compared to Anambra, where commitment to a party is so passionate.

There was no need for me to contemplate leaving the PDP at that point in time. But you will also recall that from September or thereabouts, the PDP began to wobble seriously. It got to the point where, as an insider, I became aware, as one of our elders said, that the PDP had fallen into the hands of undertakers.

At that point, the question was whether I was still going on with 2027 or not. I likened it to having a very serious appointment, like a wedding, ahead of you, and the vehicle you are travelling in breaks down very irreparably. You are forced at that point either to look for a mechanic or to look for another vehicle.

Going into 2027, I needed a platform. When I looked at it and saw that the PDP was not likely going to become a viable platform for 2027, I had to think of an option. The options were either to look for a new political party or to accept the invitation by the President.

When I did my own intelligence gathering about the state of parties in Nigeria, I found that it was least dangerous for me to respond to the President than to think of a new platform. I have never believed in the gladiators in the ADC, for example, and I didn’t think that was an option for me.

So, to answer your question simply, when I gave that response last year, the circumstances were entirely different. After that, events began to emerge that I never contemplated, which forced me to have a rethink. It is that rethink that has brought me to this point now, where, after much consultation, I thought it was safer to go with the APC.

You’ve had so much development in terms of education, agriculture and other sectors when you were with the PDP. Now that you have aligned with the centre, what do we expect in terms of more development for the state?

For me, it is to expect more collaboration, more enhancement and more support to continue what we have started doing. I must be honest, we haven’t witnessed hostility from the federal government. At least in the last one year plus, I think I’ve enjoyed considerable collaboration with the federal government.

Now that I’m part of the family, I expect even more enhanced collaboration in the future. What is emerging is that Plateau State is becoming like the jewel of the crown in the North Central. I believe that all the potential to harvest votes on the Plateau will be nurtured so that we can deliver on the potential and produce that we hold.

Your Excellency, you were at Ibadan, at Adamasimgba, and there were expulsions you later objected to. Why?

I objected out of principle because it was done surreptitiously. There was no conversation around it that I was privy to, and I felt that a decision of such magnitude should not just be taken by a few people. Moreover, I didn’t see the purpose it was going to achieve. It was only going to deepen the divide, and as you can see, the situation has worsened since then.

If you followed the trend last week, there was a particular fiasco in court, which is like walking into a trap. Before you get out of such entanglement, a lot of water has passed under the bridge. I thought it was a wrong strategy to take control of the party.

The Speaker of the House of Representatives made a predictable speech about reconciliation. When a new governor comes into the APC, there is a problem of harmonising structures. How are you going to go about it to foster peace and harmony?

For us on the Plateau, we are lucky. The key gladiators we would have had issues with have demonstrated sufficient understanding. Former Governor Lalong, who is my predecessor, publicly told the world that I am now the new leader of the party in the state. Once you have a leadership structure, it is not difficult to harmonise positions.

On my own part, I know it is not a winner-takes-all situation. You have to have a likeness of hearts to ensure that all and sundry are accommodated under the same roof.

What we saw today was actually shocking. We saw people trekking as long as two to three kilometres to attend this event. They clearly love this governor on the Plateau. It also appears there is relative peace. How were you able to achieve that?

As you rightly observed, last December was one of the most peaceful in the recent history of the Plateau. If you came here on the 31st of December last year, you will see what happened. That is a reflection of the relative peace we are talking about. It didn’t just take place in Jos; virtually all local government areas experienced relative peace.

It is the result of concerted efforts. It is not happenstance. We have been lucky to stumble upon credible, actionable intelligence that helps us nip potential threats in the bud. You don’t get intelligence without cultivating friendships and relationships. Where you cultivate the right relationships, people volunteer information. This is what we have been doing over the last two years.

In the last three months particularly, the body language of the President has changed. It has given more clarity to the security agencies to deal with the situation. They now feel empowered by the political leadership to do the needful, and I think that has changed a lot.

Plateau is historically a PDP state, coming from the works of people like the late Chief Solomon Lar. Now that you are taking PDP strength into the APC, are the grassroots part of this?

Absolutely. Let me give you a bit of history. Even Chief Solomon Lar, the founding chairman of the PDP, was once ostracised from the party. He aligned with other political platforms. Governor Dariye contested the 2003 elections on another platform when he felt short-changed, and he later returned.

Plateau people are rational voters. They know when to trust the judgement of their leader. Many people may not necessarily be current members of the APC, but they have shown commitment that wherever we go, they are with us. At the end of the day, it is not party membership but voter support that matters.

Since we made the decision to cross over, we have been engaging the grassroots. Many of them only wanted to be spoken to and to hear the reasoning behind our decision. Leaders across faith and ethnicity have come to appreciate the rationale.

We are continuing the engagement. I am a grassroots politician. Energising your base is critical, and we will intensify that in the days ahead.

On tangible benefits, the dualisation of Akwanga road project is now with the legal department of the Ministry of Works. Contracts are being tidied up, and mobilisation should begin soon. The President has assured me it as a legacy project.

Investments in livestock development are also coming. We are determined to recover the Wase grazing reserve. Livestock development has the capacity to bring prosperity. We are developing the entire value chain, from feed to milk production. We are also building a new abattoir capable of slaughtering 500 cows a day.

The Vice President also mentioned recruitment into the forest service. Plateau has been allocated 1,000 slots, which will help in returning IDPs to their communities.

Were there guarantees from the APC before you agreed to join them? Were you assured of a second term ticket?

On guarantees, the tradition in Nigeria ensures first-term governors get second-term tickets. I am confident the President is a man of his word. Beyond that, we will bring value to the APC. Plateau State has the potential to influence Middle Belt voting bloc significantly.

Given past hostilities among parties, how do you translate conflict energy into development?

At a point, maturity sets in. We choose collaboration over conflict. The endorsement by the National Chairman was reassuring and energising. It put fears to rest and strengthened commitment.

We must take our political destiny into our hands and ensure our votes count in national politics post-2027.