A former Gombe State chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Hon Shuaibu Baba Sabulu and his supporters have defected to the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) yesterday.
The NNPP gubernatorial candidate in the state Alhaji Khamisu Mailantarki, state party chairman Maikano Abdullahi and other executives received the defectors in Billiri local government area of the state where a former deputy chairman of the area Mr Phillips Bataliya was also received as new NNPP member.
Speaking at the occasion, Mailantarki assured them that they would be carried along in all the activities of the party especially now that his campaigns would formally commence soon.
He urged them to mobilize more support and promote the party and its candidates in all the nooks and crannies of the state opening that with thorough grassroots mobilisation and voter sensitisation, NNPP could defeat the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state.
While presenting the NNPP membership cards to the new members, the state party chairman, Maikano Abdullahi, assured the defectors of equal opportunities in the party assuring that the NNPP would always uphold the tenets of justice, fairness and equity.
Speaking on behalf of the decampees, Hon Baba Sabulu said they decided to leave the PDP and joined the NNPP because the state needs a better leadership which according to him, Mailantarki can give.
“We all decided to quit and join the NNPP so that we can have better leadership in Gombe State.
“We see Mailantarki as a better alternative for Gombe. He possesses the requisite character and capacity to rescue Gombe State from the misrule of the APC. He has always been saying the right things and has done the right things in the past,” he said.
Meanwhile, a member representing Kaltungo West constituency in the state house of assembly Honourable Bashir Yakubu Barau also defected from the ruling All Progressive Congress (APC) and joined the NNPP on Sunday.
Before his defection, the PDP and NNPP had three seats each in Gombe State House of Assembly but with his defection, the NNPP now has four seats and assumed the position of minority party in the house.