Opposition parties in the country lost further ground on Friday following the defection of the Plateau State Governor, Caleb Mutfwang, to the All Progressives Congress.

Mutfwang’s defection comes on the heels of a similar move by Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, who joined the ruling party on December 9.

Kano State Governor, Abba Yusuf, was also said to be on the verge of joining the APC following a protracted crisis within the New Nigeria Peoples Party.

The Kano State chapter of the APC, which confirmed the governor’s imminent exit, said he was expected to join the party in the coming days.

Mutfwang’s defection have extended the APC’s dominance to 28 states, including four that were previously considered strongholds of the Peoples Democratic Party.

With Governor Yusuf’s planned defection, which may happen on Monday, the APC is expected to extend its influence to 29 states, fuelling concerns over the country’s drift towards a one-party state.

The defection has also left the PDP with four states: Oyo, Bauchi, Zamfara and Adamawa with the All Progressives Grand Alliance, Labour Party and Accord Party controlling the remaining three states.

The recent defections are said to have swept the major South-East and South-South states, particularly Rivers, Akwa-Ibom, Enugu, Bayelsa, Imo and Delta into the APC fold, forcing the PDP to lose its age-long strongholds ahead of 2027.

Mutfwang promises Tinubu one million votes

While receiving his APC membership card on Friday, Mutfwang pledged to deliver one million more votes for President Bola Tinubu in the 2027 elections.

The governor got his APC membership card from the state chairman of the party, Rufus Bature, during a ceremony which took place at the Rayfield Government House in Jos.

Speaking at the ceremony, the governor expressed his commitment to Tinubu’s leadership and re-election.

punch