“I Never Agreed To 60:40 Cabinet Sharing” — Mutfwang Tells APC Legacy Group, Says Appointments Must Be Based On Competence

Plateau State Governor, Caleb Mutfwang, has denied claims that he agreed to share government appointments on a 60:40 basis with members of the All Progressives Congress who were in the party before his defection, insisting that whatever commitments he made concerned party positions and not cabinet appointments.
Mutfwang spoke on Thursday while swearing in three new commissioners at the Government House, Little Rayfield, Jos, amid growing tension between his political bloc and the so-called APC legacy group associated with former Plateau State Governor Simon Lalong.
The legacy group comprises politicians who were members of the APC before Mutfwang and his supporters crossed over from the Peoples Democratic Party.
Mutfwang defected from the PDP to the APC in November 2025 after months of political negotiations and reported opposition by some long-standing APC members to his admission into the party.
Since his defection, some members of the legacy bloc have expressed dissatisfaction with the distribution of political appointments, alleging that there was an understanding under which they would receive 40 per cent of cabinet positions while Mutfwang’s political bloc would take 60 per cent.
The governor, however, rejected that account.
“To correct some rumours that have been going, the APC chairman is here. I never made any promise to share government positions since my journey to APC. I made commitment to share party positions. I never had agreement to do 60-40 cabinet,” Mutfwang said.
He argued that members of the legacy APC had already been substantially accommodated within the party structure and dismissed suggestions that politicians who defected with him had taken disproportionate control of the party.
According to the governor, nearly 80 per cent of members of the APC State Executive Committee were people he met in the party.
He also pointed to the outcome of the party’s candidate-selection process as further evidence that legacy members had not been marginalised.
“As I am talking to you today, out of the 24 who emerged as APC candidates, 16 are APC legacy members. Only eight who crossed with me became candidates for House of Assembly. Are we fair?” he asked.
Mutfwang called on party members to move beyond the distinction between his political group and the pre-existing APC structure, saying the continued division was unhealthy for the governing party.
“The time has come when we must kill the dichotomy between the government group and legacy group. We are one big family,” he said.
The governor maintained that appointments into government should not be treated simply as rewards for party membership but should be guided by competence and the capacity of appointees to contribute meaningfully to the development of Plateau State.
“We have people who have been in APC but we bring them into government because we believe they have something to offer, not because they are APC members,” he said.
Mutfwang made the remarks while inaugurating Hon. Ishaku Maren Yobo from Bokkos Local Government Area, Prof. Gloria Samuel from Bassa Local Government Area and Comrade Prince Miaphen from Quanpan Local Government Area as commissioners.
He described their appointments as part of deliberate efforts by his administration to strengthen and reposition the machinery of government for more effective service delivery.
The governor told the new commissioners that their appointments should not be viewed merely as positions of honour, but as calls to greater responsibility, dedication and service to the people of Plateau State.
Mutfwang explained that the government decided to proceed with the swearing-in despite recent security incidents in parts of the state because of the importance his administration attaches to governance and the need to avoid losing valuable time in delivering its mandate.
According to him, with about nine months remaining in the administration’s first term, there was a need to reassess the structure and effectiveness of government and make adjustments capable of maximising the time available.
“We were elected to serve the people, and we want to ensure that we maximise the opportunity left at our disposal,” he said.
Mutfwang disclosed that the Secretary to the State Government would announce fresh postings to ministries and directed affected officials to ensure proper and effective handover.
He further announced that the administration would carry out additional reorganisation of ministries and departments as part of efforts to place government on a faster trajectory and improve the implementation of policies and programmes.
The governor also revealed that more political appointments would be made, including Special Advisers, Senior Special Assistants and Special Assistants.
He said the additional appointments were intended to broaden participation in government and bring governance closer to the people across the state.
Mutfwang stressed that recent changes within the State Executive Council should not be interpreted as an indictment of officials who previously served in the affected positions.
He described former members of the council as part of the administration’s wider political family, saying the changes were necessitated by the need to reposition government and deploy individuals capable of adding greater value to its development agenda.
The governor reiterated his appeal for unity within the APC in Plateau State, insisting that members of the governing political family had a collective responsibility to work together for the progress of the state.
He said subsequent appointments would take into account broad-based considerations, competence and the ability of prospective appointees to contribute meaningfully to governance.
On the security situation, Mutfwang described recent attacks in parts of Plateau as a setback but assured residents that his administration remained determined to protect lives and property.
“We have the capacity, we have the determination, we have the willingness to secure the people of Plateau State,” he said.
The governor said his administration was reviewing existing security gaps and taking steps to strengthen the state’s response, while appealing to residents to continue supporting and praying for the government.
Responding on behalf of the newly sworn-in commissioners, Ishaku Maren Yobo thanked Mutfwang for appointing them into the State Executive Council.
Yobo described the appointments as both a privilege and a responsibility, assuring the governor that the commissioners would align themselves with the policy direction of the administration and work towards effective governance and service delivery.
“We want to assure the people of Plateau State that we will do all within our reach to add value to our respective areas of responsibility, by the special grace and mercies of God,” he said.
He also prayed for continued guidance and protection for the administration and all those entrusted with responsibilities in government.
The developments come against the backdrop of continuing attempts to integrate Mutfwang’s political structure with the older APC bloc in Plateau, with the governor insisting that the party must now move beyond the labels of “legacy” and “government” groups and operate as a single political family.
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