The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declared the candidate of the PDP, Kefas Agbu as the governor-elect of Taraba state yesterday.
According to the result declared, Agbu polled 257,926 votes to defeat NNPP’s Muhammad Yahaya who polled 202,277 votes while APC’s Bwacha scored 142,502 votes.
The process that led to the emergence of Kefas Agbu as governor-elect is quite alien to the political structure of Nigeria because unlike many newly elected, Kefas didn’t enjoy the support of the incumbent governor, Darius Ishaku for reasons best known to him yet he emerged against all odds. It is a known fact in Nigeria’s politics that if one doesn’t have the support of an incumbent, emerging winner in any elective post would be a miracle, well, maybe Kefas’ victory is miraculous.
Despite not having the obvious support of the incumbent governor, there are some factors that led to the well-deserved victory of Kefas Agbu, a retired Nigerian army lieutenant colonel and former PDP chairman as the governor-elect of Taraba state.
One of these factors is Kefas Agbu’s goodwill to the people of Taraba state. Among the candidates that contested the election, Kefas Agbu is the only one who is close to the grassroot. Most northern politicians prefer staying in Abuja but for Kefas, Taraba has been his base since he retired from military service. He has been with the people, contributed immensely to the growth of Taraba state, felt the pain of the people and brought comfort to them in his capacity even without being a governor. He is well known and widely accepted by the Muslim, Christian and traditional sectors of the state. For one who has the support of the masses, even if the governor doesn’t support him, the people will definitely vote massively for him and this is exactly what happened. The people of Taraba state voted massively for Kefas Agbu and this is one of the reasons he won.
Another factor that gave him victory is his love for the youths. There has never been a time when Taraba youths participated immensely in the election process like the governorship election that was held on Saturday, 18th Of March, 2023. Kefas Agbu has been a friend of the youths; he has helped several of them conquer the issue of unemployment, he has empowered some of them and supported the entrepreneurs among them. For the youths, Kefas Agbu’s emergence would mean their interest being protected at all cost, it would mean a better representation for them and as expected, they went all out to vote for their friend; Kefas Agbu.
Also, Another factor that paved the way for Kefas Agbu is his accessibility and humility. Even as a military officer, Kefas Agbu was a friend of the people and this led to his success in maintaining peace in the Niger Delta region as a military personnel. An average citizen can access Kefas Agbu and is sure to get a good reception from him. He is a friend of the people and doesn’t discriminate unlike other politicians. These are some of the things that made him win the election.