The Digest:
President Bola Tinubu has affirmed that governors who defect to the All Progressives Congress (APC) automatically become the leaders of the party in their respective states. The declaration was made during the formal reception for Taraba State Governor Agbu Kefas, who recently joined the APC from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). Represented by Vice-President Kashim Shettima, Tinubu stated that Kefas, by his defection, had assumed leadership of the APC in Taraba. Shettima framed the move as an alignment of "destiny with reality" and emphasized that the APC grows "by inclusion, not exclusion." The announcement solidifies a key incentive for sitting governors considering cross-carpeting to the ruling party.
Key Points:
- The policy formalizes a significant political reward, guaranteeing immediate internal authority and influence to governors who switch allegiance to the APC.
- It strengthens the ruling party's strategy of expanding its hegemony by offering tangible, instant leadership roles to powerful defectors.
- The declaration underscores the centrality of state governors as pivotal power brokers and electoral assets within Nigeria's political party structures.
- By offering automatic leadership, the APC aims to mitigate potential internal resistance or power struggles that could arise from integrating a new, high-profile member.
- The move reinforces the perception of the APC as a "big tent" party focused on consolidating power through strategic absorption of opposition figures.
Sources: Nigerian Tribune, Premium Times, The Cable
