President Bola Tinubu welcomed the Taraba State Governor, Agbu Kefas, into the All Progressives Congress (APC) on Saturday and declared that governors remain the party’s leaders in their respective states.
Mr Tinubu made the declaration at the official reception of the Taraba State Governor, Agbu Kefas, into the APC held in Jalingo.
The president was represented at the event by the Vice President, Kashim Shettima.
He said Governor Kefas had assumed the leadership of the party in Taraba by virtue of his defection from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
The president promised to support the governor and his cabinet in bringing development to Taraba.
He noted that the governor was making efforts to unite the state and harmonise its diversities to achieve unity.
The president urged the people of the state to rally behind the governor and support him in his efforts to succeed.
He expressed satisfaction with the defection of a governor in the North East geopolitical zone, calling on both Adamawa and Bauchi to join the party at the centre.
Earlier, Nentawe Yelwatda, the national Chairperson of the APC, commended Mr Kefas for being courageous by decamping to the ruling party.
Mr Yelwatda said that Mr Kefas did not make a mistake by leaving the sinking PDP to the APC.
He described the decision as a major achievement that would enable the governor to make the state’s economy and its youth and women more productive.
According to him, the state will now be part and parcel of the winning party in 2027.
He assured all members of the APC, both old and new, of equal opportunities in the party’s activities, advising the governor to stand for everybody as one.
Mr Tinubu further advised the governor to unite the party and not discriminate.
In his remarks, Godswill Akpabio, the president of the Senate, congratulated the people of Taraba and the governor, saying the defection would bring the state greater development, enhance its infrastructure, and strengthen its security.
Represented by Barau Jibril, the deputy Senate president, Mr Akpabio said that the governor’s decision to defect to the APC would enable the state to enjoy equal opportunities in all spheres of governance at the national level.
Governor Kefas said the event was to shape the future of Taraba, encouraging all in attendance and everyone not to dwell on the past but to focus on the future.
He said the move was for the people of Taraba, not for his personal interests.
“The move is to bring jobs for the jobless and business for entrepreneurs. To serve the state and be committed to the people and show results and fulfilment through discipline and patriotism,” he said.
The governor thanked APC for the opportunity and for handing him the broom to sweep away division, poverty, tribalism and insecurity.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that Mr Kefas was elected under the PDP in the 2023 governorship election.
He decamped to the APC in 2025 and secured his membership registration card.
(NAN)
