by Nasiru Abdullahi
Former Plateau State Governor and leader of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state, , has reportedly asked Governor to resign his position and seek a fresh mandate from the electorate following his alleged defection from the .
Jang’s position comes amid political controversy trailing reports that Governor Mutfwang had dumped the PDP, the party on whose platform he won the 2023 governorship election in Plateau State. According to the former governor, a sitting governor who defects from the party that sponsored his election owes the people a moral and democratic obligation to return to them for a renewed mandate.
He argued that the mandate given to Governor Mutfwang was tied to the PDP’s ideology, manifesto and collective support base, stressing that crossing over to another party without consulting the electorate amounts to a betrayal of trust. Jang maintained that resigning and contesting a fresh election would allow the people of Plateau State to decide whether to endorse the governor’s new political alignment.
The call has further fuelled debate within the state’s political landscape, with PDP stakeholders insisting that party loyalty and electoral integrity must be upheld. However, supporters of the governor have countered that Nigeria’s constitution guarantees freedom of association and does not compel an elected official to resign after defecting to another party.
As at the time of filing this report, the Plateau State Government had not officially responded to Jang’s remarks, while political observers say the development underscores growing tensions over defections and democratic accountability ahead of the 2027 general elections.