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