Leading Contenders in a Crowded Field
The race for the Taraba State governorship is gathering momentum ahead of the February 6, 2027 election. Incumbent Governor Agbu Kefas is facing a major political test from Senator Emmanuel Bwacha and Senator Abubakar Tutare.
Although 19 candidates are seeking the seat, the contest is increasingly revolving around three leading contenders: Governor Agbu Kefas, Senator Emmanuel Bwacha, and Senator Abubakar Tutare. Two other candidates, Prof. Jerome Nyame of Accord and Hon. Danjuma Shiddi of APGA, are likely to make an impact in the election.
Governor Kefas and Bwacha are the most visible candidates and have dominated political discussions across the state. Meanwhile, Shiddi and Nyame are making significant inroads in the media space.
Political Shifts and Party Dynamics
The election is likely to be keenly contested between Kefas and Bwacha. Bwacha was the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate in 2023, while Kefas contested on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), reversing their political roles for this election.
Governor Kefas is considered the favorite due to incumbency, federal backing, and the positive resonance of key policies with sections of the population. His defection to the APC is considered his greatest advantage, as it brought the structure of a PDP faction into the APC, creating a larger political platform.
A section of the PDP refused to follow Kefas to the APC, leaving the remnants of the party largely inactive until Senator Bwacha returned to pursue his governorship ambition. Some observers believe Kefas left remnants of the PDP in place to retain control of the political structure, making defeating the APC a "herculean task" for any challenger.
Policy Record and Incumbency Advantage
Kefas’s administration has been dubbed ‘Youth O’Clock’ due to the appointment of young people as commissioners and special advisers, providing him with a strong support base. Notable policies of the Kefas administration include free education for primary and secondary schools, a 50 percent reduction in tuition fees at state-owned tertiary institutions, and the provision of free uniforms, school bags, sandals, books, and other instructional materials.
Historical precedent also favors the incumbent. Since 1999, every governor who ruled Taraba State served two terms unless the people decided otherwise, giving Kefas an advantage from incumbency.
Challenges from Within
A major weakness for Governor Kefas’s re-election is the array of candidates from his Senatorial zone, specifically from Wukari and Ibi local government areas. As at the last count, there are seven gubernatorial candidates from the Southern Senatorial district jostling for the governorship.