Atiku Loses More Ground In Gombe, PDP Auditor Joins NNPP

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, may lose Gombe State, as more executive members of the party and state House of Assembly members continue to defect to the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNP).

 

Newsonline that less than two months to the general election, Atiku, who would hop to have an easy ride to victory in the North East, may be confronted by the uneasy task of defeating Rabiu Kwankwaso, the NNPP presidential candidate.

 

The PDP on Tuesday lost the Gombe Local Government Auditor of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Mahmud Mohammed Wafa, to the NNPP.

 

READ ALSO: Why Atiku Is Forming Secret Govt Before Election- PCC Source

 

Two weeks ago, a for­mer state lawmaker and a local government party chairman dumped the PDP for the NNPP, among other chieftains, who had followed earlier. The NNPP now has no fewer than three members in the state House of Assembly.

 

Addressing journalists on why he left the PDP for NNPP, after visiting the governorship candidate of the NNPP, Khamisu Ahmed Mailan­tarki, Wafa said, “Looking at the present debauched situation, we need to put heads together to rescue the state from the APC led-government and the PDP has been in disarray and confu­sion since its primary election in March last year; so it can’t give us the leadership we want.”

 

He added that “It’s obvious that with his track records and humility, Mailantarki will provide better leadership in the state compared with those in APC and PDP and NNPP is the only platform that we can leverage to stabilize the state beyond 2023.″

 

While the PDP is losing ground in the North East state of Gombe, the G-5 governors – Nyesom Wike of Rivers State, Seyi Makinde of Oyo State, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State, Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia State and Samuel Ortom of Benue State – are yet to come to terms with the national leadership of the party led by Ayu Iyorchia and its presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar.