Setback For Atiku As Key Northeast Campaigner Dumps PDP For Tinubu

Posted by African Examiner Featured, Latest Headlines, News Across Nigeria Sunday, December 11th, 2022

(AFRICAN EXAMINER) – Two strong pillars of the Alhaji Atiku Abubakar political structure in the North East yesterday dumped the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate to team up with the flag bearer of the All Progressives Congress (APC),Asiwaju Bola Tinubu.

They are Alhaji Jamilu Gwamna who, until now, was the North East Coordinator of the Atiku Campaign organization, and a former deputy governor of Gombe State, Charles Iliya.

The duo switched camps on a day the APC intensified its campaign ahead of the 2023 elections in several parts of the country including Maiduguri,Borno State and Benin,Edo State.

Gwamna ,who was also the runner up in the PDP governorship primary in the state in May, told reporters in Gombe that he saw no future for the party in the state essentially on account of the crisis trailing the governorship primary.

The primary was won by Jibrin Barde,who is currently locked in a running battle with intra party forces against his victory.

He dismissed them all as inconsequential to his ticket.

Speaking on the issue yesterday,Gwamna said the PDP was riddled with internal crisis, poor leadership, disregard for rule of law and disunity

He said his political ideology was anchored on unity, inclusiveness, fairness and justice and “if those are not found in the party then there is no reason to be in that camp.”

Gwamna who is also the Sardauna of Gombe said the PDP and its current leadership lacked the capacity to manage Gombe State.

“In politics, internal democracy is very key and if you cannot find that playing out, then practicing democracy on a larger platform such as governing the state becomes a big issue,” he said.

Gwamna said the APC was better organised in Gombe than any political party, and has managed its affairs in a more family-like manner.

He asked his supporters to mobilise voters at the grassroots to ensure victory for the APC at all levels and with a wider voting margin than that of 2019.

Gwamna said he has been appointed as state coordinator for both the governorship and presidential campaign of the APC in the state.

Iliya,who was deputy to former Governor Ibrahim Dankwambo was unveiled during the formal take-off of the APC presidential campaign and that of the re-election of Governor Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya

He asked his supporters to mobilise voters at the grassroots to ensure victory for the APC at all levels and with a wider voting margin than that of 2019.
Gwamna said he has been appointed as state coordinator for both the governorship and presidential campaign of the APC in the state.

Iliya,who was deputy to former Governor Ibrahim Dankwambo was unveiled during the formal take-off of the APC presidential campaign and that of the re-election of Governor Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya

The former deputy governor was PDP’s strongman in Gombe South.

I’ll wipe out PDP from Gombe, vows Gov.Yahaya

Speaking at the campaign launch yesterday,Gov.Yahaya vowed to wipe out the PDP from the state.

He said the huge number of decampees received into the party was a testimony to the fact that the PDP no longer has a place in Gombe State

“The history and story of any other party in Gombe State will be buried,” he said.

“There will be no more parties but one party, APC. As the dominant party, we shall deliver and we have no fear because we know God is with us.

“Coming through Gombe town, you saw for yourself what the APC has achieved. You saw happiness on the faces of our people. What we are saying is that we shall not fail you as a party and we shall not fail you as candidates.

“In 2019, we won 19 out of 24 House of Assembly members but now we are determined to deliver 24 over 24.

“Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu shall be president of Nigeria in 2023 by the grace of Allah and Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya shall be the Governor of Gombe State. Senator Danjuma Goje is our candidate for Gombe Central, Senator Sa’idu Alkali is our candidate for Gombe North and Senator Joshua Lidani is our candidate for Gombe South.”

Addressing supporters at the flag off of the North-East Zone campaign of the Tinubu/Shettima Women Campaign in Maiduguri, the wife of the APC presidential candidate, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, pledged that youth empowerment and girl-child education would be given prime attention by Asiwaju Tinubu if elected next year.

“I can assure you that youth unemployment will be on the front burner of the Tinubu/Shettima administration,” she said.

Continuing, she said: “Also, women empowerment and the education of the girl-child will be tackled because education is very key to the growth of our women, not only in the North-East but in the country as a whole.

“When you educate one woman, you’ve done well for the entire household, much more the entire nation.”

She thanked the crowd especially women and youths from the North East for their overwhelming support for the party and the aspiration of its presidential candidate. She also assured them of her readiness to work with the wife of the APC vice-presidential candidate, Hajiya Nana Shettima, when their husbands are elected in 2023.