Agbu Kefas, governor of Taraba State, has formally joined the All Progressives Congress (APC), increasing the number of governors under the ruling party to 30.
The APC had earlier postponed a planned reception for Kefas in honour of members of the armed forces and citizens killed in terrorist attacks in November 2025.
Kefas was officially received into the APC on Saturday, January 31, at a ceremony held in Jalingo, the Taraba State capital. The party’s National Chairman, Nentawe Yilwatda, presented the APC flag to the governor, formally affirming him as leader of the party in Taraba State.
Yilwatda described Kefas’ defection from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as timely and courageous, saying it would position the state to benefit from federal programmes and interventions under President Bola Tinubu.
“The APC is the party at the centre, and in my father’s house there are many mansions,” Yilwatda said. “There is room for every Nigerian who is willing to come into the APC. In the APC, all states and all people are equal, and Taraba is as important as every other APC-governed state.”
Also speaking, the APC National Secretary, Ajibola Basiru, described the reception of the governor as a moment of collective joy for the party.
“On behalf of the national working committee, it is our joy to receive the governor of Taraba State into our great party,” Basiru said. He added that the APC has grown into the largest political party in Africa with a nationwide spread. The APC has become the largest party, and our reach is broader than that of many countries of the world,” he said.
Speaking at the event, Kefas said his decision to join the APC was driven by purpose and the future of Taraba State. “Today, I stand before you not to make noise, but to make meaning; not to play politics, but to lead with focus,” he said. Kefas stressed that the move was not about political survival but about accelerating development in the state.
“Some say this is defection; I say to you it is about mission,” he said. “I am not in the APC for survival; I am here for the progress of Taraba State. We are moving to the APC to strengthen and actualise our programmes with total commitment to making life better for the people of Taraba State.”