The absence of former Plateau State Governor, Senator Jonah Jang, at the wedding of Governor Caleb Mutfwang’s daughter on Saturday has triggered speculation about a possible rift between the two political leaders.
Nanbam Mutfwang was joined in marriage to Jeremiah Adeoye Ayodele at a ceremony held at the COCIN Headquarters Church in Jos.
The event drew a large gathering of dignitaries, including the Vice President ,Kashim Shettima ;APC National Chairman, Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda, Kogi State Governor, Usman Ododo, Zamfara State Governor, Dauda Lawal, members of the National Assembly, and other political leaders.
Nasarawa State was represented by Commissioner for Youth and Sports Development, Hon. Kwanta Yakubu, and Speaker of the Nasarawa State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Danladi Jatau, on behalf of Governor Abdullahi A. Sule.
The ceremony, described by attendees as a celebration of “love, unity, and family,” also brought together governors from across the country, senior government officials, traditional rulers, and well-wishers.
Noticeably absent, however, was Senator Jonah Jang, who governed Plateau State from 2007 to 2015 and is widely credited with playing a prominent role in Governor Mutfwang’s emergence.
Jang’s absence was the first time he missed a major personal event hosted by the governor since Mutfwang assumed office, and he did not send his wife to represent him, according to those at the ceremony.
That development has fueled speculation in political circles that relations between the former governor and his successor may have soured.
Observers note that Jang was instrumental in rallying support for Mutfwang’s governorship bid, and the two were seen as political allies during the 2023 elections.
However, some political watchers have pointed to recent actions and decisions of the Mutfwang administration that may have created distance between the two.
These include shifts in political appointments, realignments within the PDP in Plateau, and the governor’s later movement toward the APC, which altered Plateau’s political equation as well as allegations of plot by Mutfwang to destabilize Plateau North Senatorial zone ,where Jang hails from ,as observed by political watchers during the recently concluded APC primaries
Neither Governor Mutfwang nor Senator Jang has publicly commented on the nature of their relationship or the reason for Jang’s absence from the wedding.
For now, the empty seat at a high-profile family event has become the subject of intense political talk across the state, with many watching to see if the perceived distance between the two leaders will widen.
