By ETIM ETIM
On New Year Day, Gov. Caleb Mutfwang of Plateau announced his resignation from the PDP in preparation for joining the APC the following day. It turned out to be an ill-timed moment that. The night before, nine people were hacked to death by terrorists during crossover night celebrations in Chigwi village, Vwang District of Jos South LGA. The secretary to the district head of Vwang, Iliya Chung, told journalists on January 1 that the victims included children, men and women. ‘’What happened is that yesterday around 10 pm and 11pm, we got a call that there’s an attack at one of our villages called Boom in Chigwi village in Vwang district, and we are hearing gunshots and around 12am, they started bringing some of the victims …’’, he said. He didn’t say how many were injured. This is coming a year after the 2024 Christmas Day attacks in Barkin Ladi, Bokkos and Mangu LGAs in which about 200 people were killed and over 20,000 displaced.The state government is yet to make a statement on the recent massacre, apparently because the governor has been too engrossed with preparations for his defection or is too embarrassed to utter a word, or both. This is an inopportune political decision, coming a day after such a dastardly occurrence. It is a defection soaked in the blood of innocent people of Plateau State. It should have been postponed till the corpses are buried, the blood is cleaned and the tears are dried. Conducting such a high-profile political maneuver a day after his people were slaughtered by terrorists appears too insensitive, cold and mean on the part of the governor. The defection should have been delayed as a mark of respect to the dead and injured.
Plateau has been one of the epicenters of terrorist attacks in Nigeria, resulting in significant loss of lives and property, in the last several years. In the last one year, over 3,000 Plateau citizens have been murdered by terrorists, some of whom masquerade as cattle herdsmen fighting for grazing areas. After these attacks, Gov. Muftwang would rush to the scenes to sympathize with the people and called for urgent and enduring solution. But it is so strange that he had paid very little attention to the most recent massacre. On October 25, 2025, Fulani-speaking terrorists ambushed a group of Christians on a motorcycle near Hurum, killing two women; in July 2025, multiple attacks occurred in Bindi, Jebu, and Bokkos, resulting in over 70 deaths; in June, attacks in Mangu, Barkin Ladi, and Riyom LGAs left several people dead and many displaced, and in April, over 50 people were killed and 70 abducted in attacks on nine villages. These attacks are part of a larger pattern of violence in Plateau State, with over 11,749 people killed between 2001 and 2025. The neighbouring Benue State, another majority-Christian state, does not fare better in terms of terrorist attacks.
Blood is literally flowing on the Plateau and there has not been any serious attempt by the federal government to stop the carnage. What then is the benefit of Gov. Muftwang’s defection to APC if his people are being slaughtered almost daily and no fruitful efforts have been made to stop it? Of course, the governor has the Constitutional right to choose the party he belongs to and the people he associates with; and since his former party, PDP, has been in serious crisis since 2023, Mr. Muftwang is right to seek another platform on which to pursue his reelection. He’s not the first PDP governor to change parties recently. In fact, he had actually told us that he’d been under pressure to defect to the ruling party. But a leader’s actions should not advance personal gains only. They must seek to protect the welfare and security of his people, and should also reflect their aspirations and expectations. If the federal authorities have been incapable of protecting Plateau people all these years, I find it hard to comprehend the essence of this defection a day after his people were butchered like chickens. The optics are bad.
Welcoming Muftwang to APC, National Chairman Nentawe Yilwatda, a Plateau son himself, said, ‘’today’s registration (of Gov. Muftwang in APC) is a statement of hope and a commitment to a shared vision, peace and prosperity for Plateau State’’. He said the party would work closely with Mutfwang to advance the interests of the state strengthen APC and deliver the dividends of democracy to the people. I hope the security of the people is part of the dividends.
ETIM ETIM is a veteran journalist and PR professional with over 35 years of cognate experience.
He is the publisher and editor-in-chief of Policy & Politics (www.policyandpolitics.com.ng), an online newspaper dedicated to insightful analysis of Nigerian news and world’s report. He is also a columnist with BusinessDay and The Cable and is a regular contributor to other newspapers.
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