Chief David Kente, a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Taraba has denied wooing Gov. Agbu Kefas of Taraba into the party.
Kente made the denial on Tuesday in a Telephone interview with newsmen in Jalingo.
He however, declared that Kefas has the right to join the APC or any other political party of his choice.
“Let me make it clear that, as a critical stakeholder in the APC in Southern Taraba and from Wukari Local Government area where the governor comes from, he has not informed me of his decision to join the party as we speak.
“I was surprised when people started accusing me of clearing the ground for his defection into the party.
“He did not and has not informed me of his intention to join the APC. For me, it is still in the realm of rumours,” he said.
Kente also hinted that he was under immense pressure from various groups in the State and may be compelled to contest the governorship election in 2027.
He said that he went out of his way to support the present governor of the state to win elections under the platform of the Peoples Democratic party (PDP) in 2023, despite being in the opposition party.
He however, lamented that the government has not met the peoples expectations in its first two years in office and has grossly undermined his efforts and sacrifices.
“As a critical stakeholder, i contributed to the victory of the governor in the last election.
I want to put it on record that I am a loyal member of the APC and I have been sincere since I joined the party.
“I know that I played a key role towards the emergence of my younger brother, Kefas as the governor of the state in 2023.
“And ihave paid a very high price for that because I am excluded from the APC government completely.
“I am also aware that just a few weeks ago, I said I won’t be contesting against Kefas in 2027, except if that beame the overwhelming position of the people of Taraba.
“Since then, I have been overwhelmed with calls from individuals and groups, urging me to contest elections at all cost.
“Most of them have already volunteered to buy my form. I therefore have to shift grounds and today, I can tell you that consultations are high and I may be contesting the election after all,” he added. (NAN)
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that, though Gov. Kefas is still in PDP, his supporters have being puting pressure on him through the media to move into the ruling APC.
