With barely 38 days to the February 2023 general election, political gladiators have continued in the bid to identify with political parties of their choice with the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) at the cenre of defections in Bauchi, Zamfara and Gombe states
While the party lost its prominent stakeholders in Bauchi and Zamfara states, it also gained as it welcomed prominent defectors from Gombe state
In Bauchi, the Northeast coordinator of the New Nigerian People Party (NNPP), campaign, Babayo Liman, led hundreds of the party’s supporters to defect to the ruling People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in the state
The shocking defection, which happened barely one week after the NNPP presidential candidate of the party, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, visited the state. have led to a big depletion of the party in the state
Liman, who announced his defection with his supporters when he spoke at the Bauchi National Union of Journalist (NUJ) secretariat, declared support to the PDP presidential candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar and the re election bid of Governor Bala Mohammed, saying he has strong believe that Atiku has the capacity to salvage the country from its present hardship and dwindling economy, through his antecedents as a former vice president for eight years.
He said, “I am here at the NUJ, Bauchi State branch to inform the press and the general public that today, I, Babayo Liman, has resigned my appointments as National Zonal Secretary, member of presidential campaign council, coordinator of Kwankwasiyya and membership from the party.
“I am here with some of my executive members and thousands of supporters to declare our intention to join the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and to support the candidacy of Alhaji Atiku Abubakar as president of Nigeria and Bala Mohammed as governor of Bauchi State, respectively.
“I’m calling on all my supporters in the entire North East to follow my steps to decamp from the NNPP to the PDP, and also call on my supporters in Bauchi State to do the same.”
Also the Zamfara North senatorial candidate of the NNPP, Hon. Ibrahim Son-Allah Abubakar, along with the party’s candidate of Zurmi/Shinkafi Federal Constituency, Hon. Suleiman Garba Zurmi, has abandoned his ticket and defected to the APC.
Hon. Ibrahim Son Allah and Hon. Suleiman Garba said they joined the APC because of the impressive improvement recorded in addressing insecurity of their respective constituencies by the Bello Matawalle administration which has brought relative peace, and assured to work hard for the success of the party at all levels.
Receiving them into the APC, Governor Matawalle said Zamfara people are satisfied with the APC leadership under his watch that is why a lot of people are leaving their parties, even as he promised to sustain the tempo in his fight against banditry until a desired result is achieved.
Meanwhile, what the NNPP lost in Bauchi and Zamfara gained in Gombe state as it has continued to win more converts to position itself as a party o beat in the state
A former Gombe State chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Hon Shuaibu Baba Sabulu, led his supporters to defect to the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) on Tuesday
Also received in the party was a former deputy chairman of Billiri Local Government Area of the state, Philip Bataliya