JALINGO/GASSOL, Taraba, — The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Gassol Local Government Area of Taraba State says it has received no fewer than 1,000 defectors drawn from the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), in what local party leaders described as a boost to its ongoing membership e-registration campaign.
The decampees, according to party officials, were led by Acho Righteous—identified as the ADC’s 2023 candidate for Gassol I State Assembly—and Abubakar Surajo, formerly of the PDP. Speaking at the reception, Righteous said his supporters from Sabon-Gida Ward had decided to “leave the ADC for the APC,” citing what he described as the “gains” of reforms under President Bola Tinubu’s administration.
Righteous also linked his move to the broader political realignment in the state, referencing Governor Agbu Kefas and his reported shift toward the APC. Public reporting has shown Kefas previously confirmed his intention to defect from PDP to APC, and subsequent coverage indicates he has since engaged APC leadership at the federal level.
On youth mobilisation, Righteous said encouragement from Seyi Tinubu and the Minister of State for Defence, Bello Matawalle, helped accelerate his decision, adding that his supporters had begun the party’s electronic registration process “to ensure we become major stakeholders.”
He singled out the Nigeria Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) student loan programme as a “game-changer,” arguing that access to tuition support could expand higher education opportunities for young Nigerians. NELFUND, established to administer federal student loans, has been promoting the scheme and its application processes through its official channels.
Receiving the defectors, the APC chairman in Gassol, Ibrahim Adamu, described the new entrants as “coming back home,” and promised them equal opportunities within the party structure. He also urged more residents to join the APC, claiming Gassol is leading Taraba in new sign-ups during the current e-registration exercise.
After the event, Righteous and members of his group paid courtesy visits to traditional rulers in the area, including the District Head of Kwararafa and other local chiefs, in what party sources framed as part of grassroots consolidation following the defection.
