Taraba: As Gov Kefas Joins APC Formally Tomorrow…

Barring any unforeseen circumstances, Taraba State governor, Dr Agbu Kefas will on Saturday officially defect from the People’s Democratic Party to the ruling All Progressives Congress. Wole Ayodele reports.

For several months running, speculations have been rife that Governor Agbu Kefas of Taraba State would be defecting to the APC but there were no official confirmation to that effect.

The official defecting ceremony was initially billed to take place on 19th of November but had to be called off at the last minute due to the kidnap of school children in Kebbi State by bandits.

It will now take place on Saturday, December 6, 2025 in Jalingo, the State capital with Vice President Kashim Shettima leading APC National Chairman and other party chieftains and governors to formally welcome Governor Kefas to the ruling party.

The governor had let the cat out of the bag concerning his rumoured defection while addressing press men shortly after inspecting facilities at the Jolly Nyame Stadium, venue of the decamping ceremony when he officially disclosed that he would be joining the APC.

Flanked by several government functionaries, Gov Kefas stated that his decision to leave the PDP was informed by his commitment to advance the long-term interests of Taraba State.

According to the governor, “I will officially transition from the PDP to the APC on November 19. This movement is about the destiny and future of the people of Taraba. It is not about me as an individual or the governor. It is in the best interest of our dear state”.

But as fate would have it, the ceremony was called off by Kefas to reflect the mood of the country following the kidnap incident. The cancellation was conveyed in a statement signed by the Secretary to the Government of the State, Chief Gebon Kataps.

Meanwhile, the governor’s decision to defect to the APC sparked series of alignments and realignments within the existing political structures in the state.

Though there seems to be some dissenting voices who expressed bitterness over the planned defection of the governor, such voices were soon drowned as the governor succeeded in galvanizing the support of the stakeholders and leaders of the APC and PDP.

Ahead of the governor’s official decamping, the sixteen PDP members of the State House of Assembly led by the Speaker, Rt. Hon John Kizito Bonzena had on Monday 17th November decfected to the APC thereby making the Assembly 100% APC.

Speaking at plenary, the Speaker stated that besides himself, fifteen other PDP House of Assembly members have forwarded their letters to defect from the PDP to the APC.

The defectors include the Deputy Speaker, Hamman Adama Abdullai (Bali 2 Constituency); Majority Leader, Jethro Yakubu (Wukari 1 Constituency); Tafarki Eneme (Kurmi Constituency); Akila Nuhu (Lau Constituency); Musa Chul (Gassol 1 Constituency) and Josiah Yaro (Wukari 2 Constituency).

Others are: Tanko Yusuf (Takum 1 Constituency); Veronica Alhassan (Bali 1 Constituency); Anas Shuaibu (Karim Lamido 2 Constituency); Nelson Len (Nguroje Constituency); Umar Adamu (Jalingo 1 Constituency); Joseph Kassong (Yorro Constituency); John Lamba (Takum 2 Constituency); Happy Shonruba (Ardo-Kola Constituency) and Zakari Sanusi (Ibi Constituency).

The Speaker further stated that the decision is not personal but for the collective interest of the state.

Besides the members of the Assembly, other political appointees and aides of the governor have followed the path of the legislators including the outgone local government chairmen who completed their tenure in November.

The then ALGON Chairman in the state Dr Aminu Jauro Hassan led the other fifteen local government chairmen to decamp enmasse from the PDP to the APC.

In a release signed by the ALGON Chairman, the council chairmen resigned their membership of the PDP to enable them to support the governor as well as align with the moving forward agenda of the state government.

In the same vein, the Taraba State Chairman of PDP, Alhaji Abubakar Bawa also led other party officials to defect to the APC.

Giving reasons for his resignation, Alhaji Bawa disclosed that his defection was as a result of the intractable crisis in the party at the national level.

Bawa’s defection, which came few days after leading the Taraba delegation to the recent  National Convention