A former governor of Plateau State, Amb Fidelis Tapgun, has said that Governor Caleb Mutfwang has freed himself from political slavery by defecting from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC).

He there for congratulated Mutfwang for taking “the right decision and at the right time.”

Tapgun’s congratulatory message to Mutfwang came as leader of PDP in Plateau and former governor of the state, Jonah Jang, said that the PDP will correct Mutfwang’s defection in the 2027 election.

Jang described defectors as “political prostitutes.”

But Tapgun who is also a member of the PDP Board of Trustees (BOT), said the congratulation becomes necessary because PDP offered Mutfwang no alternative.

Speaking to our correspondent on Saturday, Mutfwang said leaving the PDP means that he has come to terms with the truth that the party cannot win election with the current leadership tussle confronting it.

There are those who think they own PDP and have continued to deceive the governor that all is well. This self delusion has lingered for too long and brought PDP to where it is today”, Tapgun said.

The former governor lauded Mutfwang for the bold step, saying that the move means that he has demonstrated that he is a man of himself.

“This defection means that Mutfwang cannot be controlled by anybody. They know that the party with the current leadership crisis is heading nowhere, yet they want to keep him. For what?

Tapgun said he had before now warned the PDP to put its house together to avoid the unfortunate situation that has befalling it.

“But those who think they own PDP decide to do things their own way. They don’t listen to anybody and have dragged Mutfwang into the mood except now that God has delivered him. If not he would have hit the rock”, Tapgun said.

He called for support for President Bola Tinubu re-election, saying that the country has no option than to support the President to complete his eight years tenure>

He berated some APC members who kicked against the decision of Governor Mutfwang joining the party, saying that Mutfwang has been controlling the APC even before he joined.

“With the 22 members of the APC in the House of Assembly, including Senators as well as APC forming the government at the centre, Mutfwang remained in charge of the state and the APC could do nothing. But when he made the move to defect, they started resisting him.

“Is that not self delusion?” Tapgun asked rhetorically.

Meanwhile Jang, speaking at a PDP stakeholders’ meeting in Jos, said it’s only in Nigeria that an elected official will abandon the platform under which they’re elected and transfer the ticket to another party.

He said that the party would correct the anomaly by ensuring that the party regains the seat in 2027.

In a communiqué issued at the end of a stakeholders’ engagement, the leadership of the party reaffirmed that the party “remained a fundamental pillar of Nigeria’s democracy, adding that what is now being witnessed is a march toward a one-party state through undemocratic tool of defection.

Senator Jang urged the party’s leadership across board to place people-centred interest above personal considerations, stressing that strong political parties are essential for any democratic sustenance and stability. (The Sun)

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