Governor Kefas And The End Of Religious Politics In Taraba

 

There is something happening in Taraba politics today that should interest any serious student of power. It is the quiet burial of religious politics — a burial conducted not with noise or propaganda, but with sheer governance. And the undertaker, whether his opponents like it or not, is Dr Agbu Kefas.

 

For decades, Taraba's politics had only one predictable line of division: religion. We played Christians versus Muslims like a local derby. It was primitive. It was convenient. And it gave a few power brokers their cheap relevance. Elections were not about competence; they were about what altar you prayed on. That altar, for too long, became a political shrine where truth and merit went to die.

 

But since assuming office, Governor Kefas has taken a machete to that old order. He has refused to govern from a pulpit. Policies are no longer filtered through the lens of faith. Appointments, for the first time in a long time, are based on merit. Permanent Secretaries rise because they qualify — not because they belong to one religious camp. Muslims and Christians now walk through the corridors of power with equal confidence and equal reward. In Taraba today, competence finally has a religion: none.

 

This is why his imminent entry into the APC is rewriting old narratives. The same APC that many weaponised in 2023 as a "Muslim party" is now preparing to receive a Christian governor with applause and handshakes. Suddenly, the party of religious warriors has discovered political flexibility. Suddenly, Governor Kefas is acceptable. And, suddenly, those who told us they couldn't vote for Emma Bwacha because he was a Christian have no problem rolling out a red carpet for another Christian. This is the tragedy and comedy of Nigerian politics combined.

 

If you ever doubted that politicians worship nothing but interest, look again. These are the same people who may wake up tomorrow to tell you that "Agbu" is simply "Habu" pronounced with a southern accent, and that "Kefas" is the long form of "Kasimu." In politics, as Sam Nda-Isaiah always reminded us, shame is an optional garment — and most politicians don't wear it.

 

But perhaps nothing demonstrates Kefas's departure from religious manipulation more than the crisis in Donga. Instead of playing to the gallery, he took the bold route: a personal visit to meet Islamic sect leaders, traditional authorities, and security agencies. He shut down the disputed mosque to prevent bloodshed. He announced three new mosques to be built for the feuding sects — a practical, emotion-free solution. No favoritism. No pandering. Just leadership.

 

At the palace of the Gara Donga, HRH Amb. Sanvala Shimbura Verzoa, the governor said something that many before him quoted but never practiced: there can be no development where people cannot live with one another. In those words, and in that action, he dismantled the old architecture of religious entitlement.

 

Even the Minister of State for Regional Development, Uba Maigari, had to admit it. He led a delegation all the way from Abuja to thank the governor for showing a rare example of leadership. The kind of leadership that restores peace before politics. The kind that visits a town in crisis — not with soldiers or propaganda — but with responsibility.

 

The truth is simple: Taraba is getting a new political culture, and some of the old actors can't figure out how Kefas pulled it off so quickly. They can't reconcile the man with the narrative they sold in 2023. They can't understand how their religious chessboard is suddenly useless.

 

But for some of us watching closely, the lesson is clear. Politics has no permanent enemies, no permanent friends — only permanent interests. And as 2027 approaches, let nobody deceive you: the same people shouting "faith" today will shout "interest" tomorrow.

 

So if you are supporting any candidate in 2027, understand one thing: your interest and your vision must aligned with that person. Not their altar. Not their church. Not their mosque.

 

Taraba has moved on from religious politics. And if you are still waiting for Christian vs Muslim politics to return, you will be waiting alone.