Governor Caleb Mutfwang of Plateau State and the All Progressives Congress (APC) have again traded accusations amid fresh speculation over his alleged plan to defect to the ruling party.

In an interview with the BBC Hausa Service on Wednesday, Mutfwang dismissed the reports linking him to a group of five PDP governors allegedly planning to defect to the APC, insisting he remains a committed member and leader of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). He, however, took a swipe at the APC, claiming the party lacks the leadership capacity to move Plateau forward.

“There is no good leadership in the APC in Plateau,” Mutfwang said. “I believe that is why some people from the national level are asking me to join, so I can provide better leadership. Unfortunately for the party, it lacks credible leaders in the state.”

The comment triggered a sharp response from the Plateau APC, whose acting publicity secretary, Shittu Bamaiyi, accused the governor of peddling misinformation and attempting to deflect attention from his administration’s failures.

He described Mutfwang’s remarks as “a sign of desperation,” arguing that the current political atmosphere in Plateau is shaped by widespread dissatisfaction with the PDP-led government’s performance.

“It is no surprise that key figures who brought the PDP to power, including the Director-General of Mutfwang’s campaign team, have since defected to the APC,” he added.