The Former Minister of Labour and Employment, Senator Simon Lalong, has reaffirmed Plateau State’s unwavering loyalty to the All-Progressives Congress (APC), declaring that the State remains firmly aligned with the ruling party.
Senator Simon Lalong made this statement while leading a delegation of APC leaders from Plateau State, including former Minister of Women Affairs, Dame Pauline Tallen, and Plateau State APC Chairman, Comrade Rufus Bature on a solidarity visit to the newly appointed APC National Chairman, Mr. Nentawe Yilwatda in Abuja the nation’s capital.
He went further to assure the party leadership and President Bola Tinubu of Plateau’s full support, especially as preparations for the 2027 general elections begin.
“We are solidly behind our son and new national chairman. We will work day and night to support President Tinubu and ensure APC’s victory in 2027,” Senator Lalong stated.
Addressing rising opposition coalitions, he dismissed their relevance with confidence:
“We’re not afraid of any coalition. The tricks of the past can’t defeat the masters who invented them. Plateau remains APC, and those who left are already returning,”
Senator Lalong described Mr. Yilwatda’s appointment as a major elevation not just for one individual, but for the entire Plateau APC structure.
“From Deputy National Secretary to National Chairman—this is not just a privilege, it’s a mandate to unify, lead, and reposition the party,” Senator Lalong said.
Lalong stressed that Mr. Yilwatda’s experience in organising elections gives the APC a unique advantage ahead of 2027.
“This is no political novice. He understands the language of voters, of systems, and of institutions,” Lalong asserted.
Echoing Senator Lalong’s sentiments, Tallen hailed the appointment as a unifying force for the APC. “This is a new Plateau, and this is a new APC,” she said. “We are seeing a reversal in political migration, members of the ruling party in Plateau are already returning to the APC fold.”
Tallen praised President Tinubu’s political foresight, adding, “The President is a master strategist. He has chosen someone who speaks the language of the youth, women, and the rising generation,” she noted.
Similarly, Plateau State APC Chairman, Comrade Rufus Bature, stated that the recognition of Plateau through Mr. Yilwatda’s appointment is a reward for the State’s support during the 2023 presidential election. “We gave our blessing from Plateau, and Mr. President won. Now he has remembered us,” Bature noted.
He described Mr. Yilwatda as “a man of patience, contentment, and deep insight,” adding that with him at the helm of the APC, the party would gain new momentum nationwide. “We will intensify our efforts beyond the ordinary, if there were 30 hours in a day, we would work all of them,” he emphasised.