Nigeria’s political landscape took a dramatic turn on January 1, 2026, as Plateau State Governor Caleb Mutfwang officially defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC). The high-profile defection signals a deepening crisis within the country’s main opposition party and leaves it controlling just four states nationwide, its weakest position in over two decades.
Governor Mutfwang’s decision, confirmed through a statement from the Plateau Government House, follows months of speculation over his alignment with President Bola Tinubu’s administration. Reliable sources say behind-the-scenes negotiations and mounting internal tensions within the PDP accelerated his move to the APC.
Political analysts view this defection as a strategic consolidation for the APC ahead of the next general elections, potentially strengthening its presence in the North Central region. Supporters of Mutfwang argue that his switch will unlock greater development opportunities for Plateau State by aligning with the federal government.
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However, critics within the PDP have described the move as a betrayal of the opposition’s mandate, accusing the governor of abandoning the ideals on which he was elected. The party’s national leadership has vowed to rebuild, even as it grapples with declining influence following similar defections in Delta, Rivers, Akwa Ibom, Zamfara, and Enugu.
With Mutfwang’s exit, the PDP now governs only four of Nigeria’s 36 states, a sobering statistic for the party that dominated national politics from 1999 to 2015. Observers warn that unless the PDP quickly reforms and unifies, it risks further fragmentation ahead of the 2027 elections.
In Plateau, reactions remain mixed. While some citizens welcome the move as politically pragmatic, others fear it could deepen polarization in the state’s multi-ethnic setting. For now, all eyes are on the formal reception event expected to welcome Governor Mutfwang into the APC fold in Abuja later this week, a ceremony that could mark the start of a major realignment in Nigerian politics.
