Governor Agbu Kefas of Taraba State has formally joined the All Progressives Congress (APC), thereby increasing the number of governors under the ruling party to 30. The official reception for Governor Kefas took place on Saturday, January 31, at a ceremony held in Jalingo, the Taraba State capital. This significant political event followed an earlier postponement of the planned reception, which was deferred in honour of members of the armed forces and citizens tragically killed in terrorist attacks in November 2025.

During the ceremony, Nentawe Yilwatda, the National Chairman of the APC, presented the party's flag to Governor Kefas, officially affirming his leadership role within the party in Taraba State. Yilwatda lauded Governor Kefas's defection from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as both timely and courageous. He emphasized that this strategic alignment with the ruling party at the centre would position Taraba State to benefit significantly from federal programmes and interventions under President Bola Tinubu's administration. Yilwatda reiterated the APC's open-door policy, stating, "The APC is the party at the centre, and in my father’s house there are many mansions. There is room for every Nigerian who is willing to come into the APC." He further assured that "In the APC, all states and all people are equal, and Taraba is as important as every other APC-governed state."

Adding to the sentiment of jubilation, Ajibola Basiru, the National Secretary of the APC, described Governor Kefas's reception as a moment of collective joy for the party. He highlighted the APC's remarkable growth, asserting that it has become the largest political party in Africa, boasting a nationwide spread and a reach "broader than that of many countries of the world."

President Bola Tinubu, represented by Vice President Kashim Shettima, affirmed that APC governors are the undisputed leaders of the party in their respective states. Speaking at the grand reception, Vice President Shettima pledged a stronger development partnership between the federal government and Taraba State following Governor Kefas’s formal entry into the APC. He underscored Taraba State's critical role in Nigeria's food and energy security, describing it as a "land that feeds, powers, and steadies the nation without demanding applause." Conveying President Tinubu's message, Shettima assured Governor Kefas of his secure place within the ruling party and a continued relationship prioritising the state's development, stating, "He has demonstrated that no region is expendable. No state is ornamental."

Vice President Shettima elaborated that the APC was conceived as a unifying platform designed to bring Nigeria’s diverse regions together around a shared national purpose. He articulated, "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 noted that Taraba's entry strengthens this convergence strategically, politically, and economically, particularly because "Taraba sits where food security meets energy security, where fertile land meets flowing water. Where mineral wealth meets industrial possibility." Commending Governor Kefas's understanding of Taraba’s ethnic and religious diversity and his efforts to promote unity, Shettima urged residents to rally behind the governor to advance development, emphasizing that the APC "grows by conviction, not compulsion. By inclusion, not exclusion. By performance, not noise."

For his part, Governor Agbu Kefas reiterated that his decision to join the APC was driven by a clear purpose and an unwavering vision for the future of Taraba State, rather than political expediency. He declared, "Today, I stand before you not to make noise, but to make meaning; not to play politics, but to lead with focus." Governor Kefas clarified that his move was not a mere defection but a "mission" aimed at accelerating development and ensuring "progress of Taraba State." He stressed the importance of aligning with the centre to strengthen and actualise state programmes, with a total commitment to improving the lives of Taraba's people and benefiting from the policies and programs of the present government.

The event also garnered support from other prominent APC figures. Senate President Senator Godswill Akpabio, represented by Deputy Senate President Senator Jibrin Barau, hailed Kefas’s defection as a wise decision poised to bring prosperity to the state, confirming the full support of the National Assembly. Additionally, Ekiti State Governor Abiodun Oyebanji, representing the Chairman of the Progressive Governors’ Forum and Governor of Imo State, Hope Uzodinma, echoed similar sentiments, stating that Governor Kefas made the best decision by joining the progressives to attract the dividends of democracy to Taraba State. National Chairman Prof. Nantawe Yilwatda further thanked Governor Kefas for "saving the state from what he called 'the sinking PDP'," and described the move as a step towards accelerated progress, development, and prosperity.