By Blessing Elo Oghene
Plateau State Governor Caleb Mutfwang has dismissed the possibility of a “rainbow coalition” ahead of the 2027 general elections, declaring that the state has chosen the All Progressives Congress (APC) as its political platform.
Mutfwang made the declaration on Monday while inaugurating the party’s presidential and state campaign councils, expressing confidence that the APC would secure victories at both the presidential and state levels.
“Some people are talking about rainbow, we are talking about a unification movement. Plateau people have decided 2027 to go one direction,” the governor said.
He added that the APC was the platform the people had chosen to pursue their political aspirations in the forthcoming elections.
The governor also appealed to the people of Plateau State to support his bid for a second term, arguing that projects and programmes initiated by his administration should be allowed to continue.
“We are going to the nooks and crannies of Plateau State to solicit their endorsement and approval for a second time in office because the many things we have begun must not be aborted,” he said.
Speaking on continuity in governance, Mutfwang compared leadership to a relay race, stressing that his administration was determined to leave the state in a better condition than it found it.
Acknowledging the challenges of hunger and insecurity confronting residents, the governor rejected claims that his administration had failed to address the situation.
He announced plans to strengthen Operation Rainbow and deploy additional forest guards to improve security and facilitate the return of displaced persons to their ancestral communities.
“Next week, we are going to commission another batch of retrained Operation Rainbow operatives, and within the next four weeks, we are going to deploy not less than 800 trained forest guards,” he said.
Defending President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s economic reforms, Mutfwang maintained that the current administration inherited a difficult economic situation from its predecessor, arguing that the reforms were necessary to stabilise the country.
“The President inherited an economy that was tottering on the brink of collapse, and the reforms were necessary to rescue the country,” he said.
The governor also highlighted measures introduced by his administration to cushion the effects of economic hardship on residents.
According to him, the government has introduced metro buses, revived the intra-city rail system, reduced fees in tertiary institutions by 50 per cent and increased student allowances.
On the state’s zoning arrangement, Mutfwang reaffirmed the principle of two terms per senatorial zone, urging those questioning the arrangement to respect it.
“We have a zoning arrangement in Plateau State, and it is two terms per senatorial zone. Those who are saying otherwise should understand that there is no vacancy in the Plateau State Government House,” he declared.
He further urged APC candidates and campaign officials to take their campaigns to the grassroots, mobilise voters across polling units and ensure that political activities remained peaceful and issue-based.
“We must lead from the front. We must go to the polling units, mobilise our people and ensure that we deliver a peaceful and issue-based campaign,” he said.
Expressing confidence in the party’s electoral prospects, Mutfwang said the APC was determined to secure victories in the 2027 presidential and state elections.
“We are determined to return President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and myself with resounding victories in 2027,” he said, urging residents to continue supporting the President and the APC.
