Kefas’ Defection Will Boost APC’s 2027 Chances, Not Block Aspirants – Kente

Chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and former governorship aspirant, Chief David Sabo Kente, has assured party members that Governor Agbu Kefas' planned defection to the APC is not intended to edge out anyone but to strengthen the party's chances of winning the 2027 governorship election in Taraba State.

Speaking to journalists on Monday, Kente described the governor's defection as a strategic move that would give the APC a stronger footing going into the next polls. He insisted that fears among old party members that new entrants would hijack party structures were unfounded.

"Governor Kefas is not coming to block any person in the party," Kente said. "Rather, his coming will enhance the chances of the party to win the governorship election in 2027. The APC is large enough to accommodate everyone."

Kente, who contested the APC governorship ticket in the 2023 elections, said although the APC is gaining control of the Government House through what he called "unconventional means," it remains a major boost for the party and a political advantage ahead of 2027.

He noted that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) had not performed to expectations in the state, which may be one of the reasons Governor Kefas began aligning himself with the APC, now seen as "the most sought-after political bride."

Kente revealed that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu personally reached out to the governor and invited him to join the ruling party. "As obedient party members, we have no reason to reject whoever the president wants. Whoever emerges as the APC candidate in 2027 will be determined by the dynamics and interplay among party members," he added.

He dismissed speculations that Governor Kefas' defection would lead to the exclusion of long-standing APC loyalists from party benefits. "The fear that new entrants will grab everything is not tenable. It won't work. We have seen this before when people came just to take advantage of the party at the expense of loyal members. This time, things will be different."

Kente also denied allegations that he orchestrated the governor's defection. He said that although he has been under pressure to contest the governorship again in 2027, he did not bring the governor into the party to undermine his own chances.

"I want to put it on record that I am a loyal member of the APC. I helped my younger brother, Governor Kefas, to emerge in 2023, and I have paid a price for that because I have been completely excluded from government. But I will not oppose him unless the people of Taraba insist that I must run," he said.

The APC chieftain added that as a major political stakeholder from Southern Taraba and Wukari Local Government Area, the same zone as the governor, he believes there must be a 'Plan B' in case political dynamics shift.

Kente further defended his call for Tarabans to support President Tinubu in 2027, saying the president's reforms and the benefits of aligning with the federal government were in the best interest of the state.

"With Governor Kefas joining us, the APC is not losing — it is gaining. We are consolidating, not dividing," he said.