The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Plateau State has challenged Governor Caleb Mutfwang to disclose the individuals allegedly pressuring him to leave the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the APC.

Over the weekend, Mutfwang told an audience at the Government House banquet hall in Jos that several APC members had approached him to join their party. He, however, insisted that only divine guidance and the will of the people who elected him could influence such a decision.

“It is not a lie that they are putting pressure on me. But I told them that only two people would authorise me to change my party: one is the God of heaven, and the other is you, the people. So, those who are rejecting me for what I did not seek are only hiding their desires. The truth is that 60 to 70 per cent of APC members in the state would be glad to have us in their party. They are just biting their fingers because they know I won’t join them,” Mutfwang said.

Reacting on Monday in Jos, APC acting publicity secretary in the state, Shittu Bamaiyi, dismissed the governor’s claims as “self-denial,” accusing him of trying to divert attention from his administration’s shortcomings.

Bamaiyi said if Mutfwang had performed well for Plateau residents, discussions about defection or political alignment would not arise.

“If he truly meant well for his supporters and the state, he should have courageously named those pressuring him and explained why,” Bamaiyi stated. “Whatever the case, it is a big minus for a sitting governor when the opposition openly objects to his joining its ranks, even when that party’s goal is to win future elections.”