Khamisu Mailantarki, the 2023 governorship candidate for the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) in Gombe State, defected to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Saturday. Three months after resigning from the NNPP, Mailantarki had refrained from joining another party until now.
During his reception at the party secretariat, Mailantarki shared that his decision to join the PDP was driven by his desire to strengthen the party’s prospects.
He stated that his decision to join the PDP would support the main opposition party in unseating the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Gombe State in 2027.
He criticized the policies of the APC-led government at both the federal and state levels, emphasizing their failure to deliver good governance to the people of Nigeria.
He added, “The PDP is the only strong party capable of taking power from the APC, which is why I chose to join it after leaving the NNPP.”
While criticizing Gombe State Governor Muhammadu Yahaya, Mailantarki condemned some of his administration’s heartless policies, such as revoking land titles and requiring civil servants to undergo daily biometric registration at their workplaces, with non-compliance leading to ineligibility for salary payments.
He argued that it was unjust to force workers to report to work five times a day during these tough economic times without offering a fair salary in return.
Abner Kwaskebe, the PDP Gombe State chairman, who welcomed the former gubernatorial candidate, praised Mailantarki for his courageous decision.
He mentioned that Mailantarki’s defection is a great success for the party and assured all members that they would have an equal opportunity.”
