TINUBU WELCOMES TARABA GOVERNOR KEFAA INTO APC, PLEDGES STRONGER DEVELOPMENT PARTNERSHIP

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has pledged a stronger development partnership with Taraba State following the formal defection of Governor Agbu Kefas and his supporters to the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Vice President Kashim Shettima, who represented the President at a grand reception in Jalingo on Saturday, described Taraba State as strategic to Nigeria’s food and energy security, assuring the governor of his full place within the ruling party and a continued development-focused relationship with the Federal Government.

Shettima said President Tinubu had directed him to formally welcome Governor Kefas into the APC and to reaffirm the administration’s commitment to prioritising the development of Taraba State.

“What makes us different from other political parties is that we believe that nations endure when they learn to recognise their quiet strengths. We believe that Taraba is one of such strengths.

It is a land that feeds, powers, and steadies the nation without demanding applause,” the Vice President said.

Conveying the President’s message, Shettima assured the Taraba governor of inclusion and partnership, stressing that no state or region is expendable under the Tinubu administration.

“My dear brother, His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, has asked me to assure you of your place not only in the party, but in our continuing relationship to prioritise the development of our people.

He has demonstrated that no region is expendable. No state is ornamental,” he stated.

The Vice President noted that the occasion was not about discovering Taraba’s relevance, but about acknowledging its long-standing role in Nigeria’s unity and stability.“Today, we are not discovering Taraba.

We are just acknowledging what we have always known: its place at the centre of Nigeria’s political stability and future,” he said.

Shettima explained that the APC was established as a unifying platform for Nigeria’s diverse regions, adding that Taraba’s entry into the ruling party further strengthens national convergence.

“The All Progressives Congress was built as a meeting point. A place where regions converge. Where differences find direction. Where ambition is disciplined by purpose,” he said.

According to him, Taraba’s strategic position at the intersection of food and energy security makes its inclusion in the APC particularly significant.

“To have Taraba firmly within this fold is to strengthen that convergence strategically, politically and economically.

Taraba sits where food security meets energy security. Where fertile land meets flowing water. Where mineral wealth meets industrial possibility,” he added.

Welcoming Governor Kefas into the party, Shettima said the governor’s decision reflected a clear understanding of governance as partnership rather than isolation.

“Leadership, at its core, is the courage to align destiny with reality. He understands that governance is not an act of isolation, but an act of partnership. That progress is faster when vision meets structure,” he said.

He added that the defection further demonstrated the APC’s philosophy of growth through inclusion and performance.

“Today also showcases what the APC represents: a party that grows by conviction, not compulsion; by inclusion, not exclusion; by performance, not noise,” Shettima said.

Also speaking at the event, the Senate President, represented by Deputy Senate President Senator Jibrin Barau, congratulated Governor Kefas for what he described as a wise and strategic decision.

“By this decision, progress is brought to the state. This will enhance agriculture, infrastructure and the economy of Taraba State,” Barau said, adding that the National Assembly fully supports the governor’s move.

National Chairman of the APC, Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda, thanked Governor Kefas for leaving what he described as the “sinking PDP,” noting that aligning with the ruling party at the centre would accelerate development and prosperity in Taraba State.

“The best thing is to align with the centre so that all the good things and policies happening at that level will come to Taraba State,” Yilwatda said.

In his remarks, Governor Kefas commended security agencies in the state for their efforts in maintaining peace and safety, explaining that his decision to join the APC was driven by purpose rather than political ambition.

He said while some may interpret his defection as perversion or ambition, the move was made in the interest of the youth, infrastructure development, elders and the overall progress of Taraba State.

According to him, Taraba must align with the centre to fully benefit from the policies and programmes of the current Federal Government.

Also speaking, Ekiti State Governor, Biodun Oyebanji, who represented the Chairman of the Progressive Governors’ Forum and Governor of Imo State, Hope Uzodinma, said Governor Kefas made the right decision by joining the APC to attract dividends of democracy in agriculture, infrastructure and other critical sectors.