There are contrary facts to  the claims by the Minister of the FCT, NyesomWike, during a stakeholders’ meeting of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on June 9, that the Taraba State Governor, Col. AgbuKefas, did not resign as PDP State Chairman before contesting the 2023 governorship election and only resigned after winning.

A letter dated May 17 2022 by Lt. Col. AgboKefas, (as he then was) to the then National Chairman, Dr. IyorchiaAyu , titled: “Notice of my resignation as the state chairman of PDP in Taraba state’’, stated that his resignation was to give him time and space as required by the PDP constitution to pursue his aspiration as the Governorship candidate.

Also, evidence from the archive of the party confirmed that Kefas actually resigned from his position as Taraba State PDP Chairman prior to contesting the party’s gubernatorial primaries in 2022.

Kefas’ letter of resignation was received and signed in the office of the national chairman on May 19, 2022.

According to the documents made available to THISDAY, Kefas stepped down as PDP State Chairman before emerging as the party’s governorship candidate, defeating five other aspirants in the primaries.

This evidence was supported by multiple sources, including some online reports, which explicitly stated that Kefas had “recently resigned” as PDP State Chairman before securing the PDP gubernatorial ticket for the 2023 election.

The FCT Minister, had said in the communique of the stakeholders’ meeting wanted Nigerians and PDP members to support his surrogate, Senator Samuel Anyanwu, who has been battling his removal  by the South East zone for abandoning his office as National Secretary to contest for Governorship of Imo State, saying he was not supposed to resign before contesting.

‘’The misrepresentation of these facts risks creating confusion among PDP stakeholders and the general public.

‘’Governor Kefas adhered to the electoral guidelines, which mandate resignation from such elective positions before contesting for another elective office,” a PDP source said.

The source added: ‘’His resignation was a procedural step taken to ensure compliance with the PDP’s rules and the Electoral Act, paving the way for his successful candidacy and eventual victory in the March 2023 Taraba State governorship election, where he secured 257,996 votes.

‘’This clarification is critical to maintaining transparency and trust within the PDP and among the Nigerian electorate. Therefore, Minister NyesomWike lied in his assertions.’’

Meanwhile, the Conference of Professionals in the PDP known as the CP-PDP, has demanded that Wike immediately respond to the document revealing that he lied Kefas did not resign as the PDP chairman in Taraba before contesting for the governorship.

In a statement by its chairman, ObinnaNwachukwu, the Conference recalled that the minister was widely reported to have sturdily claimed at a stakeholder’s meeting that Kefas did not resign as the Taraba State Chairman of the PDP before contesting the 2023 governorship election.

‘’This apparent belying of Chief Wike’s claims has put a huge blight on the credibility and integrity of his public assertions and the onus now lies on him to publicly respond.

‘’The Conference aligns with the adherence to the provision of the Constitution of the PDP as demonstrated by Governor Kefas and urges other party officials and members to always follow the rules in their party related conducts,’’ the group stated.