On Saturday, supporters of Alhaji Jamil Gwamna, the first runner-up in the Gombe State Peoples Democratic Party governorship primary election on May 25, 2022, defected to the New Nigeria Peoples Party.
He had previously defected to the All Progressives Congress, promising to support the party’s candidate in 2022.
Gwamna sought support for the APC’s presidential candidate, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, and Governor Inuwa Yahaya of Gombe State.
The supporters of Gwamna had a platform called “Sardauna Dawo-Dawo.”
Malam Khamisu Mailantarki greeted them, the NNPP’s governorship candidate in Gombe State, and Alhaji Abdullahi Maikano, the state chairman.
Malam Muhammad Makson, chairman of Sardauna Dawo-Dawo, said the group would now be known as the “Mailantarki Movement,” after defecting to the NNPP.
Makson said the decision to support the NNPP’s governorship candidate was premised on the fact that “Mailantarki is young, diverse, competent, energetic and kind-hearted.
“Mailantarki is tested and trusted, and has the character to deal decisively with current issues and challenges facing the state.
“Our pulling out of our support for the PDP was a collective decision; we all decided to quit and join the NNPP so that we can have better leadership in Gombe State.
“We believe Mailantarki has the good character and capacity to rescue Gombe State.
“He has always been saying the right things and has done the right things in the past.”
Makson stated that the organization has approximately 2,000 executives and over 20,000 volunteers spread across Gombe State’s 114 wards.
Receiving the defectors into the NNPP, Mailantarki assured them that they would be included in all of the party’s activities to ensure that the NNPP wins the state election in 2023.
Mailantarki urged them to rally more support for the NNPP and its candidates, emphasizing that “we can only uproot and defeat the ruling APC in the state through grassroots mobilization.”