The State Secretary of the Taraba State chapter of the All Progressives Congress, APC, National Youth Vanguard, Dr. Jinadu Garvey Yaweh, has described the ongoing wave of political defections in the state as “unprecedented.”
Answering questions from journalists on Monday in Jalingo, the state capital, Tuesday, Yaweh noted that the steady movement of politicians from the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, to the APC had intensified in recent weeks.
According to him, all 24 members of the State House of Assembly, including the Speaker have now joined the APC, a development he described as a significant realignment of political structures in the state.
He further noted that several top government officials, including commissioners, the Secretary to the State Government, SSG, Gebon Timothy Kataps, and the PDP State Chairman, Abubakar Bawa, had also defected, leaving the PDP’s political machinery in the state “almost empty.”
He attributed the trend to what he termed the unifying leadership style of governor Agbu Kefas, whom he commended as “an embodiment of justice, fairness, and political maturity.”
He claimed that although Governor Kefas had not made a formal declaration, the governor had already aligned himself with the APC “unofficially,” with only the official ceremony yet to take place.
According to him, the governor’s formal move to the APC was delayed due to recent security concerns across the country, particularly the attack in Kebbi State, which prompted a review of his political engagements.
The APC youth leader argued that Taraba stands to gain more by aligning with the ruling party at the national level, saying such alignment would make it easier to attract developmental projects.
He also dismissed concerns that Nigeria was drifting toward a one-party system, insisting that the current wave of defections reflected strong leadership and political clarity, which he believed would foster unity and accelerate development in Taraba.
