A coalition of All Progressives Congress, APC, stakeholders in Taraba State and the Chief David Sabo Kente, DSK Political Organisation have called on businessman and politician Chief David Sabo Kente to contest the 2027 governorship election, citing dissatisfaction with the performance of Governor Agbu Kefas.
The call was made on Saturday, during a press conference in Abuja addressed by Hon. Godwin Villannah, former APC State Secretary, on behalf of the coalition.
Villannah told journalists that APC stalwarts and members of the DSK political organisation drawn from the 16 local government areas of the state had met in Wukari on April 14 and 15, 2026, where they unanimously endorsed Chief Kente for the governorship race.
According to him, the group resolved at the end of the two-day meeting to contribute funds to purchase both the Expression of Interest and Nomination forms for Kente to enable him to “rescue Taraba State.” He noted that although Chief Kente initially declined the offer, the coalition considered it “compelling and necessary” for him to heed what it described as overwhelming calls from the people of Taraba to save the state from “misgovernance and the embarrassing level of underdevelopment.”
The coalition recalled that Chief Kente had directed the DSK political organisation across the 16 LGAs to support the then PDP candidate, Dr. Agbu Kefas, during the last election cycle, on grounds that the APC’s imposed candidate was not sellable.
“The expectations of all those who worked for the victory of Governor Agbu Kefas was that he will deliver the dividends of democracy and work for the development of the state,” Villannah said. “Unfortunately, what we have witnessed for the last three years is terribly disappointing.”
He accused the Kefas administration of delivering “failed promises without any tangible development,” despite what he described as a quantum of resources that had flowed into the state within the period under review.
Villannah further alleged that since Governor Kefas defected to the APC, he has run the party’s affairs “like his personal estate,” sidelining stakeholders and chieftains who invested personal resources to build the party over the years. He said the group of APC leaders had been neglected and excluded from party affairs in the state.
The coalition also faulted the governor for ignoring calls by APC members for equitable power-sharing in appointments between old and new party members, arguing that current appointees were those who followed the governor from the PDP.
On infrastructure, Villannah expressed disappointment that the first road commissioned by the governor in three years was the 5km Ibi/Nwonyo road, which he described as “an eyesore.” He said promised projects such as the Wukari Flyover, township roads, and an International Stadium remained “mere dreams without any feasible way forward,” adding that Jalingo township roads slated for construction by military engineers were now in worse condition than three years ago.
He equally criticised the governor’s foreign trips, saying they had yielded no results and that “much talked about foreign investments is still a mirage.” He suggested the trips may have been used to deploy state funds for personal investments abroad.
“As patriotic citizens and committed party members who uphold the true values of democracy, we are worried and concerned about the readiness of our party, the APC, going into the 2027 governorship contest with our greatest might,” Villannah stated.
The group expressed confidence that Chief Kente possesses the required skills, knowledge, and wide acceptability to secure an easy win for the APC in the general elections. Beyond electoral victory, they said, he has continually demonstrated statesmanship and leadership abilities needed to “move Taraba State to the next level.”
Calling for a level playing field in the party’s primaries, the coalition urged the APC to allow all aspirants to seek the ticket and enable members to make informed decisions.
“It is a statement of fact that the present administration of Governor Kefas has already mortgaged Taraba State and has nothing to show for all the billions of naira that has accrued to the state in the past three years,” Villannah said. “Every Taraban that has the interest of the state at heart should be concerned about misgovernance and the glaring misappropriation of funds.”
The coalition therefore appealed to Chief Kente to “answer the call by the people of Taraba State to embark on this very important rescue mission and accept to contest for the exalted position of the Governor of the State.”
The press conference ended with prayers for the Federal Republic of Nigeria, the APC, and Chief David Sabo Kente.
