President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has formally declared sitting governors as the undisputed leaders of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in their respective states, a pronouncement that is already stirring political debate over party supremacy and internal democracy.
The president made the assertion during the official reception organised in honour of Taraba State Governor, Agbu Kefas, in Jalingo, following his defection from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the ruling APC.
Represented at the event by Vice President Kashim Shettima, Tinubu stated unequivocally that the APC’s structure at the state level is headed by incumbent governors, stressing that Governor Kefas automatically assumed the position of APC leader in Taraba State upon his defection.
According to the president, the ruling party recognises sitting governors as the political rallying point and coordinating authority of the APC in their states, a position that effectively sidelines existing party hierarchies and power blocs.
Tinubu reaffirmed the Federal Government’s readiness to work closely with Governor Kefas and his cabinet to drive development in Taraba State, commending the governor for what he described as efforts to promote unity and manage the state’s diverse ethnic and religious composition.
“I urge everyone in Taraba State to rally behind the governor and support him to succeed,” the president said.
In a remark that has further fuelled political speculation, Tinubu expressed satisfaction over the defection of a governor from the North-East geopolitical zone, openly stating his expectation that Adamawa and Bauchi states would also align with the APC-led Federal Government.
Political observers note that the president’s comments go beyond welcoming a new member into the ruling party, instead projecting a clear consolidation strategy that places governors at the centre of APC’s state-level control, while intensifying pressure on opposition-controlled states.
The development is expected to reshape power dynamics within the APC and deepen concerns among opposition parties about the accelerating erosion of political pluralism ahead of future elections
