Plateau APC defections rise as Akpabio and Yilwatda receive top political figures, strengthening the party’s dominance ahead of 2027

Plateau APC defections continued in spectacular fashion on Saturday as Senate President Godswill Akpabio and the APC National Chairman, Prof Nentawe Yilwatda, received top political figures who formally abandoned their parties for the ruling All Progressives Congress during a massive rally in Jos.

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The ceremony drew an impressive crowd, underscoring the shifting political landscape in Plateau State.

According to a statement by Akpabio’s media aide, Anietie Ekong, senior party chieftains converged on the Jos Polo Field to welcome defectors from five political parties – the Peoples Democratic Party, Labour Party, PRP, African Democratic Congress and the New Nigeria Peoples Party.

The scale of the APC Plateau Defections was described as unprecedented.

Among those received were prominent figures such as Senator Istifanus Gyang, former PDP campaign Director-General Latep Dabang, Labour Party’s 2023 governorship candidate Dr Patrick Dakum, and former NNPP candidate Alfred Dabwam.

Three serving members of the House of Representatives – Fom Dalyop, Ajang Alfred Ilya and Daniel Asama Ago – also crossed over to the APC.

Representing President Bola Tinubu at the event, Akpabio declared that the rise of Yilwatda as National Chairman had transformed the party’s fortunes in the state.

He stated that with the calibre of defectors entering the APC, Plateau had effectively become a stronghold of the ruling party. He described the newcomers as “political caterpillars,” a powerful metaphor that drew cheers from the crowd.

Akpabio assured supporters that the President remained committed to restoring peace and tackling insecurity in Plateau State.

He emphasised that the years of killings and displacement must end, noting emotionally that the state “deserves peace” and that each loss of life weighs heavily on national leadership.

Yilwatda, in his remarks, declared the day the “final consolidation” of the APC’s dominance in Plateau. He stated confidently that no serious political actor could thrive outside the party, predicting victory at all levels for the APC in 2027.

The defectors received party flags and the symbolic broom of the APC as the National Chairman assured them of equal rights and full integration into the party’s structure.

The rally attracted top political leaders, including the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu; Nasarawa Governor Abdullahi Sule; Benue Governor Hyacinth Alia; and Kogi’s Deputy Governor Salifu Joel.

Recent political shifts in the state show a sustained exodus from the PDP. Between February 2024 and February 2025, more than 300 party chieftains defected, citing deepening crises at the state and national levels.

The party’s troubles worsened over the weekend after the expulsion of eleven high-ranking figures – including FCT Minister Nyesom Wike, former Ekiti Governor Ayodele Fayose and National Secretary Samuel Anyanwu – over alleged anti-party activities.

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With the latest wave of APC Plateau Defections, the ruling party appears to be consolidating control as the countdown to 2027 begins, reshaping political alliances across the North-Central region.