President Bola Tinubu on Monday welcomed Taraba State Governor, Agbu Kefas, to the Presidential Villa in Abuja for a significant closed-door meeting. This visit marks Governor Kefas's first official engagement at the Presidency since his high-profile political switch from the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
A Strategic Meeting at the State House
The Taraba State Governor arrived at Aso Rock at approximately 1:30 pm on Monday, December 1, 2025. He was subsequently ushered into a private meeting with President Tinubu around 2:00 pm. Notably, the APC National Chairman, Professor Nentawe Yilwatda, accompanied Governor Kefas, underscoring the importance of the visit for the ruling party.
This meeting follows weeks of political recalibration. Governor Kefas had previously suspended a grand reception ceremony planned for his formal induction into the APC, which was scheduled for November 19. He cited the need for sensitivity and restraint in the wake of the abduction of schoolgirls in Maga, Kebbi State, describing a political celebration at such a time as "insensitive."
Realignment in Taraba and National Politics
Governor Kefas's move is not an isolated event but part of a broader political shift in Taraba State. This realignment saw the Speaker of the Taraba State House of Assembly and 15 other lawmakers recently defect from the PDP to the APC. These lawmakers publicly stated their motivation was to "align with the centre", pointing to persistent internal crises within the PDP at the national level as a key reason for their departure.
On a national scale, the APC is actively intensifying efforts to woo influential figures from opposition parties ahead of the 2027 general elections. Party insiders suggest that more high-profile defections from traditional PDP strongholds, particularly across the North and Middle Belt regions of Nigeria, are expected in the coming months.
Profile of Governor Agbu Kefas
Governor Agbu Kefas brings a diverse background to his new political home. A retired lieutenant colonel in the Nigerian Army, he previously chaired the board of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA). A native of Wukari in Taraba, Kefas has deep roots in the state's politics, having served as the Taraba State PDP chairman before emerging as the party's governorship candidate.
He ultimately won the March 2023 governorship election under the PDP banner before his recent defection to the APC, a move that significantly alters the political landscape of his state and contributes to the evolving dynamics for the next electoral cycle.
