The All Progressives Congress (APC) described the rally held on Saturday as one of the biggest political rallies on the plateau since 2015, which was attended by thousands of defectors from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Labor Party (LP), African Democratic Congress (ADC) and others. Party leaders described the development as the “final collapse of the opposition structure” in the state.
Senate President Godswill Akpabio told the huge crowd that the wave of defection signaled the “birth of a new era” in Plateau politics.
He said the influx of new members reflected the growing national acceptance of the APC and described it as one of the achievements of the Renewed Hope administration.
Akpabio praised the APC National Chairman, Nentawe Yilawatada, describing him as the party’s “good luck charm for 2027” and expressed confidence that the entire plateau will soon become an APC stronghold.
He commended President Tinubu's commitment to restoring peace in Plateau State, stressing that any leader wishing to rule the state cannot do so without prioritizing security.
The Senate President praised the caliber of the defectors – who include three serving members of the House of Representatives, a former senator, a former MLA and 2023 Labor Party gubernatorial candidate Patrick Dakum – whom he described as a “political tiger, general, bulldozer and giant”. He said that Dakum told him privately that “the Labor Party is dead on the plateau.”
APC National Chairman Yilawatada declared that the day marked “the final consolidation of APC dominance”, insisting that “there is only one political party on the plateau.”
He formally welcomed the defectors including former senators ID Gyang, Letep Dabang, John Sura and other top personalities, saying the expanded structure has put the party in a position to deliver all the alternative seats to the APC in 2027.
Former Governor of Plateau State, Simon Bako Lalong, described the rally as the fulfillment of a long-standing prophecy that the APC would remain the dominant political force in Plateau.
He accused opponents of attempting to silence the party by sacking activists and elected officials after 2023, but said the APC “cannot be buried”, declaring that “this is the second party that has been buried forever.”
Speaking on behalf of the defectors, Letep Dabang, former state chairman of the PDP and former director general of the Mutafwang Campaign Organisation, said they left the PDP due to “betrayal, harassment and failure to perform”.
He said the coming of top politicians to the APC shows confidence in the leadership of President Tinubu and the direction provided by Yilawatada.
The rally was attended by the governors of Nasarawa and Benue states, attended by supporters from all 17 LGAs and was widely described as a historic realignment of the political landscape of the plateau.
