Governor Agbu Kefas of Taraba State has defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Kefas formally registered as an APC member on Sunday at his ward, Hospital Ward, in Wukari Local Government Area, where he received his membership card from the ward chairman.
The governor said a date would be announced for the official defection ceremony, noting that the move was taken in the interest of Taraba State.
Addressing party executives after his registration, Kefas assured them of his commitment to transforming the state and promoting inclusive governance to deliver greater dividends of democracy.
His earlier plan to formally defect on November 19 was postponed following the abduction of schoolchildren in Kebbi State.
“This movement is about the destiny of the people of Taraba, and we are expecting many visitors for the ceremony,” he had said at the time.
Kefas’s defection follows the exit of John Kizito, Speaker of the Taraba State House of Assembly, and 15 other lawmakers, who left the PDP for the APC two days earlier. The lawmakers cited internal crises within the PDP at both state and national levels, as well as the need to align the state with the federal government.
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The development adds to a growing list of high-profile defections from the PDP in recent months, further deepening challenges within the main opposition party.
In November, Governor Douye Diri of Bayelsa State defected to the APC after weeks of speculation, signalling a major political shift in the South-South region. His move followed similar defections by Governor Sheriff Oborevwori of Delta State, Akwa Ibom State governor Umo Eno, and Enugu State governor Peter Mbah earlier in the year.
