Mutfwang: I never promised Lalong’s group 60-40 appointment ratio

Plateau State Governor Caleb Mutfwang has refuted claims that his administration had promised a 60:40 split in government appointments with Simon Lalong's legacy group before joining the APC. This clarification emerged as political debates intensified over the composition of the Plateau State cabinet and supposed negotiations. Lalong, who leads the APC legacy group in the state, was instrumental in its expansion after the party's loss in the governorship election to Mutfwang in 2023.

Mutfwang's defection to the APC was followed by discussions suggesting that joining the party came with a condition of providing 40% of government positions to the Legacy Group. However, during the swearing-in of three commissioners, the governor vehemently denied making such promises, stating, "I never made any promise to share government positions since my journey to APC. I made a commitment to share party positions. I never had an agreement to do a 60%-40% cabinet."

He emphasized that the majority of those now in the APC Executive Committee (EXCO) were members of the Legacy Group, with 16 out of the 24 emerging as APC candidates. Only eight individuals who crossed over with Mutfwang were candidates for the House of Assembly. The governor questioned the fairness of maintaining a clear distinction between the government group and the Legacy Group, urging for unity within the party.

He noted that many former APC members were brought into government due to their potential contributions, irrespective of their current affiliation with the party.