By Ayomide Otitoju
Vice President Kashim Shettima has praised the All Progressives Congress (APC) as a party “where differences find direction,” describing it as a platform of inclusion, performance, and national cohesion.
Shettima made the remarks while formally receiving Governor Agbu Kefas of Taraba State in Jalingo on behalf of President Bola Tinubu. He said Kefas’ decision to join the APC reinforces the party’s values and strengthens national unity.
“Today also showcases what the APC represents: that we are a party that grows by conviction, not compulsion. By inclusion, not exclusion. By performance, not noise,” Shettima said in a statement released by his media aide, Stanley Nkwocha.
Conveying President Tinubu’s message, the Vice President assured the Taraba governor of his place in the party and in ongoing efforts to prioritise the development of the state. “No region is expendable. No state is ornamental,” he said. Shettima highlighted Taraba’s strategic importance, describing it as a hub where “food security meets energy security, fertile land meets flowing water, and mineral wealth meets industrial possibility.”
The Vice President also lauded Kefas’ leadership, saying it reflects the courage to align “destiny with reality” and emphasised that governance “is not an act of isolation, but an act of partnership.”
Representing Senate President Godswill Akpabio, Deputy Senate President Senator Jibrin Barau congratulated Kefas, noting that his defection would enhance agriculture, infrastructure, and economic development in Taraba. APC National Chairman Nantawe Yilwatda added that joining the ruling party would enable Taraba to benefit fully from federal policies and programmes.
Governor Kefas explained that his defection was motivated not by politics or ambition but by a desire to advance the youth, infrastructure, and progress in Taraba. “Taraba must move into the centre to benefit from the policies and programmes of the President,” he said, stressing that the move was about purposeful governance rather than dwelling on the past.
