Taraba State Governor state Agbu Kefas has quashed rumours of a fallout with elder statesman General Theophilus Yakubu Danjuma, retired Army General and former Defence Minister, insisting their bond remains unbroken despite his recent defection from the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to Nigeria’s ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
Speaking to State House Correspondents after a meeting with President Bola Tinubu at the presidential villa Abuja, Governor Kefas dismissed speculation of discord or financial inducements behind his party switch.
“I don’t have any problem with TY Danjuma; he is my father. Since we started politics, nothing has ever come between us. People just speculate, but there is no issue at all,” he said.
Governor Kefas, a fellow military veteran, described a recent visit to Danjuma—whose Jukun ethnic ties run deep in Taraba—as a personal gesture of appreciation.
He claimed to have secured the non-partisan elder’s blessing before defecting late last year.
“Before I defected, I secured his approval. He assured me of his support whenever I need it,” the governor added.
The denial comes amid swirling gossip in the country’s fractious political scene that cash from the APC lured Kefas, who flatly rejected the notion.
“Nobody gave me money to defect to the APC,” he said, framing the move as a conviction-driven step for Taraba’s development.
Now aligned with President Tinubu’s administration, Governor Kefas expressed optimism about federal-state synergies, particularly in security and agriculture.
The closed-door talks with Presidenr Tinubu covered welfare, farming mechanisation—including imported tractors—and plans for local processing plants to spur jobs.
The Governor hailed Taraba’s improved security, with reduced violence enabling freer movement, and vowed to “deliver” the state for Tinubu in 2027.
“Delivering Taraba will not be difficult because our policies are already impacting the grassroots,” he said.
Kefas’s switch, between late 2025 and early 2026, has triggered a cascade of defections by lawmakers, council chairs and PDP executives, eroding the party’s historic grip on the northeastern state. Supporters see it as pragmatic realignment with Abuja; critics decry opportunism.
Undeterred, the Governor urged unity during the overlapping Christian Lent and Muslim Ramadan, calling for prayers amid Nigeria’s tense multiparty landscape ahead of next year’s polls.
