Ex-NNPP guber candidate, Mailantarki, joins PDP

The political atmosphere in Gombe is gradually becoming charged as politicians and other actors are aligning and realigning for the 2027 general elections with particular focus on the gubernatorial race.

This became clear as the 2023 governorship candidate of the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) in the State, Khamisu Ahmed Mailantarki retraced his tracks back to the main opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Saturday.

Recall that in July this year, Khamisu Mailantarki resigned his membership of NNPP but kept his associates and supporters in suspense as he did not immediately express intent of joining another party until recently when insinuations became rife.

Speaking during his reception ceremony at the party’s Secretariat in Gombe, Khamisu Mailantarki said that he joined PDP to help revitalise the party to unseat the All Progressives Congress (APC) administration in the state in 2027.

Khamisu Mailantarki alleged that APC government at the Federal and State levels has failed woefully in delivering good governance opining that PDP is the only strong party capable of seizing power from the APC, hence his decision to join it after quitting NNPP.

He berated the State Governor, Inuwa Yahaya over some of ‘his administration’s uncompassionate policies such as revoking of lands titles and compelling civil servants to undergo biometric registration everyday at their workplaces, failure of which they are not eligible for salary payment’.

According to him, “it is unfair to force workers to go to work five times a day under this period of economic hardship without commensurate salary.”

He assured that come 2027, all the issues will become past as the PDP will do everything possible to clear every of the mess left behind.

Also speaking, the State PDP, Chairman Abnor Kwaskebe who received the former governorship candidate said that his defection was a huge success for the party and promised all members level playing ground.

The PDP Chairman stressed that the party remains the best alternative to the bad governance of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) assuring that things will definitely change for good in 2027.

He also assured that Khamisu Mailantarki and his supporters will be well accommodated in the PDP considering that the party has a level playing field for all.