Receiving Taraba State Governor Agbu Kefas into the APC at an official reception on 2 February 2026, President Tinubu declared that governors elected on the party's platform remain its leaders within their states. The statement reinforced the party's structure as it absorbed a wave of governors who had defected from the PDP through 2025, and underscored Tinubu's effort to keep the expanding coalition unified heading into 2027.