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By Myke Agunwa
As the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) sinks deeper into factional crisis with counter-suspensions within its National Working Committee (NWC), the speculations that Taraba State Governor, Dr. Agbu Kefas, may soon defect to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) is now inevitable.
The growing possibility of the governor’s defection took a new turn over the weekend when prominent APC stakeholders, political blocs, and youth groups from across the state openly declared support for him during a strategic meeting at the Jalingo residence of former Social Democratic Party (SDP) governorship candidate, Danladi Baido.
The meeting, which brought together APC elders, the APC Youth Forum, Concerned Citizens, APC Like Minds, and representatives from the 16 local government areas and two development zones, was described by participants as a “reunion of progressives” and a “strategic step” toward welcoming the Taraba governor into the APC fold.
The event came amid intensifying internal turmoil in the PDP, where two factions of the NWC have announced parallel suspensions of key members, including National Secretary Senator Samuel Anyanwu and Acting National Chairman Umar Damagum, thereby throwing the opposition party into deeper disarray. Political observers say the latest round of factional warfare has made defections by aggrieved governors and senior party figures almost inevitable.
Speaking at the meeting, A.A. Liman, a member of the APC Youth Forum and leader of the NNPP bloc that recently aligned with the APC, said Governor Kefas’ defection would bring “fresh energy and federal attention” to Taraba State.
“Governor Kefas has proven himself as a result-oriented leader. His decision to align with the APC is timely and strategic. Taraba needs to be connected to the center. By joining forces with President Tinubu’s administration, we can attract more federal projects, jobs, and empowerment opportunities for our people,” Liman declared.
Similarly, Danladi Baido, the chief host and convener of the meeting, described Kefas as “a progressive leader with a vision beyond party boundaries.
“Kefas is not just a PDP governor, he is a leader for all Tarabans. We in the APC recognize leadership when we see it. His developmental strides, especially in education, security, and social welfare, show he belongs with the progressives. We are ready to receive him with open arms” he said.
Elder statesman Ibrahim Musa, representing the APC Like Minds group, also hailed the governor’s inclusive leadership.
“Our party has agreed that if Governor Kefas joins us, we will stand by him 100 percent. His style of governance, building schools, paying salaries promptly, and empowering the youth is exactly what the APC stands for,” Musa stated.
He added that Taraba’s alignment with the APC-led federal government “will open the state to unprecedented infrastructural and economic growth.”
But not everyone is pleased with the governor’s rumored defection. Within the PDP, some loyalists have warned that leaving the party would amount to “betrayal” of the platform that brought him to power.
A PDP stakeholder in Jalingo, Mrs. Hauwa Gambo, cautioned that Kefas’ defection could “destabilize the PDP in Taraba” and “erode the goodwill” he currently enjoys.
“The PDP gave Dr. Kefas the platform to serve. Abandoning the party now, when it needs unity most, would be disappointing. No matter the internal challenges, we should fix the PDP from within, not jump ship,” Gambo said.
Similarly, Hon. Caleb Yakubu, a PDP chieftain from Takum, said the defection would send the wrong signal to party members who stood by the governor during his election.
“The crisis in the national leadership will pass, as it has done before. “Our governor should be the rallying point for rebuilding the PDP, not the one leading the exodus to another party” Yakubu noted.
Political analysts argue that the worsening division within the PDP, marked by suspensions, counter-suspensions, and factional meetings has weakened the party’s internal cohesion and created opportunities for strategic defections ahead of 2027.
Dr. Hadiza Bello, a political analyst at Taraba State University, said the signals from both the APC and PDP camps suggest that Kefas’ defection is “no longer a matter of if, but when.”
“Governor Kefas is politically savvy. He understands that Taraba cannot afford to be isolated from the federal structure, especially when federal appointments and projects are flowing to states with APC governors. The PDP crisis only makes his defection more inevitable” she stated.
For now, the Taraba political space remains tense as both the PDP and APC camps intensify their maneuvers. If Kefas eventually crosses over, it could mark one of the most significant political realignments in the state’s history that has remained a PDP state since 1999.