Officials and members of Sardauna Dawo-Dawo, a political support group loyal to the Gombe renowned politician and philanthropist, Jamil Isyaka Gwamna defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the New Nigerian Peoples Party (NNPP) in Gombe on Friday.
The defectors were formally welcomed by the NNPP state Chairman, Alhaji Abdullahi Maikano and its governorship candidate, Khamisu Ahmad Mailantarki.
Sardauna Dawo-Dawo, which has changed its name to Mailantarki Movement, said it decided to back the NNPP candidate, Khamisu Ahmad Mailantarki because he “is young, diverse, competent, energetic, kind-hearted,”
Chairman of the group, Muhammad Makson added that Mailantarki is tested and trusted, and has the character to deal decisively with current issues and challenges facing the state.
Makson said, ”Our pulling out of our supports for the PDP was a collective decision, we all decided to quit and join the NNPP so that we can have a better leadership in Gombe State. We believe Mailantarki has the good character and capacity to rescue Gombe State from the misrule of the APC. He has always been saying the right things and has done the right things in the past.”
He added that the group has about 2000 EXCO members and over twenty thousand volunteers spread across the 114 wards of the state.
Receiving them into the NNPP, Mailantarki assured the defectors that they will be carried along in all the activities of the party especially now that the campaigns had commenced, and God willing the NNPP triumphs in the next general election.
He charged them to dedicate more energy towards garnering support and promoting the party and it candidates in the state.
He maintained that only through grassroots mobilization the NNPP can uproot the failed APC.
He also promised to run an all-inclusive government, if elected as governor of the state.
