NIGERIA: Tinubu Reaffirms APC Governors as Party Leaders in Their States

By Ameenat Hamzat, Lagos, Nigeria 

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has declared that governors elected on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) remain the party’s leaders in their respective states, insisting that party structure and authority must be unified at the state level.

The President made this known on Saturday during the official reception of Taraba State Governor, Agbu Kefas, into the APC in Jalingo, the state capital.

Speaking through the Vice President, Senator Kashim Shettima, Tinubu announced that by virtue of his defection from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Governor Kefas had automatically assumed leadership of the APC in Taraba State.

The President expressed the Federal Government’s readiness to support the governor and his cabinet in delivering development to the state, noting that Kefas had demonstrated commitment to unity and inclusiveness.

He urged the people of Taraba to rally behind the governor to ensure the success of his administration, while also welcoming the defection as a boost for the ruling party in the North-East geopolitical zone.

Tinubu further called on Adamawa and Bauchi states to align with the party at the centre, expressing satisfaction with the growing influence of the APC in the region.

Earlier, the National Chairman of the APC, Professor Nentawe Yilwatda, commended Governor Kefas for what he described as a courageous decision to leave the PDP and join the ruling party.

“Kefas did not make a mistake by leaving the sinking PDP for the APC,” Yilwatda said.

He added that the move would enhance economic growth in Taraba and create opportunities for youths and women, stressing that the state was now firmly positioned within the party’s winning structure ahead of 2027.

Yilwatda assured both old and new party members of equal opportunities within the APC and advised the governor to unite the party without discrimination.

Also speaking, Senate President Godswill Akpabio, represented by Deputy Senate President Senator Barau Jibril, said the defection would bring increased development, improved infrastructure and stronger security to Taraba State.

According to him, joining the ruling party would enable the state to enjoy equal access to opportunities at the national level.

In his remarks, Governor Kefas described the event as a defining moment for Taraba’s future, urging citizens to focus on progress rather than past political differences.

He said: “This move is for the people of Taraba, not for my personal interest. The move is to bring jobs for the jobless and business for entrepreneurs, to serve the state and show results through discipline and patriotism.”

The governor thanked the APC leadership for accepting him and symbolically received the party’s broom, which he said would be used to sweep away division, pover

ty, tribalism and insecurity.