Taraba State Governor Agbu Kefas on Sunday formally registered as a member of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), completing his move from the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Kefas received his membership card from APC executives of his Hospital Ward in Wukari Local Government Area during a brief ceremony at the Government House in Jalingo, the state capital.
The governor, who was elected under the PDP banner in 2023, confirmed that the registration was a necessary step to enable him to fully participate in party activities and fulfill basic membership requirements.
"I have already written to the party at the ward level, and today's exercise is a necessary step to fulfill the basic requirements," Kefas said.
He added that the decision was taken in the overall interest of the state to deepen cooperation and strengthen his administration's alignment with the federal government.
The registration follows the governor's earlier announcement to join the APC, which was originally scheduled for November 19 but was postponed indefinitely in solidarity with the families of abducted schoolgirls in Kebbi State.
Kefas affirmed that a new date for the official public reception and ceremony would be announced in the near future.
The governor's defection marks a major shift in Taraba's political landscape, which has historically been a stronghold for the PDP since Nigeria's return to democracy in 1999.
His move comes amidst a wave of political realignments that have seen a significant portion of the state's political structure join the ruling party.
Last month, the Speaker of the Taraba State House of Assembly and 15 other lawmakers, along with members of the State Executive Council, also defected from the PDP to the APC, citing the need to align the state with the "center" for better development.
The defection of Governor Kefas deepens the crisis within the national PDP and strengthens the political dominance of the APC, which has gained several high-profile members from the opposition in recent months.
