By Peter Onyekachukwu 
By Peter Onyekachukwu, Jos
The Plateau State chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Rufus Bature, has explained why Governor Caleb Mutfwang has not yet been accepted into the ruling party.
Reports indicate that different interest groups in the state have staged press conferences and rallies both supporting and opposing the governor’s defection to the APC.
Bature disclosed that stakeholders of the APC in Plateau State, including the national party chairman, Prof. Nentawe Yilwadat, recently rejected Mutfwang’s defection. The governor, however, denied the claim, stating that he faced pressure from APC members to join the party.
In a telephone interview, Bature said all defectors must follow due process before being welcomed into the APC. “The governor should follow the proper channel. Let him consult with the leaders of the party first, including those at the national level. There must be negotiations give and take for us to accept him. Let him come in a proper way. That is all we are saying,” he stated.
Bature emphasized that politics is rooted in dialogue and negotiations. “If the terms and conditions are good for the party, they will accept him. But if we don’t know his intentions for joining the party, that is where the problem arises. That is why you see groups coming from different quarters for or against his defection,” he added.
Prime Gossip gathered that while the conditions set for the governor’s entry into the APC are demanding, sources close to the national chairman revealed that Mutfwang has not personally informed Prof. Nentawe of his decision to join the party.
The APC leadership maintains that proper consultation and adherence to party protocols remain crucial before any defector can be officially welcomed.