Gombe: APC Suffers Blow As Two Prominent Members Join PDP

Two prominent members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Gombe State have joined the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) ahead of the 2027 governorship election.

Naija News reports that the defectors, Hon. Ibrahim Adamu Muhammad, popularly known as Uban Dawakin Gombe, and Alhaji Auwalu Alhassan, also known as Chiburosi, have also declared their support for the PDP governorship candidate, Prof. Isa Ali Ibrahim Pantami.

Muhammad is a former Deputy Chairman of Gombe Local Government Council, while Alhassan is a former Chairman of the Groundnut Oil Millers Association of Gombe State.

Their defection was announced in a statement issued by the Pantamiyya Movement and signed by Prof. Suleiman Mohammed.

According to the statement, the two politicians decided to join the PDP because of what they described as Pantami’s leadership experience, integrity and knowledge of governance.

The group said their entry into the PDP would boost the party’s structure and Pantami’s political movement ahead of the 2027 governorship election.

“Their decision represents another major boost for the PDP and Professor Pantami’s growing movement across Gombe State,” the statement said.

The Pantamiyya Movement added that the development would also strengthen the PDP structure under the leadership of former Gombe State Governor and current leader of the party in the state, Senator Ibrahim Hasmobilizationo.

Meanwhile, the Kwara State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has replaced its deputy governorship candidate for the 2027 election, with Hon. Oluwaseun David Oguniyi emerging as the new running mate to its governorship candidate, Yakubu Danladi Salihu.

Oguniyi, a member of the Kwara State House of Assembly representing Ojomu/Balogun Constituency, is from Offa Local Government Area of the state, Naija News understands.

He is popularly known as Adato.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had earlier listed Bello Mubarak Salau as the APC deputy governorship candidate.

The replacement, however, has drawn criticism from the 52-Youth Coalition (52-YC), which described the development as unusual.

In a statement signed by its Secretary, Bashir Amid, the coalition questioned the decision to field two serving members of the state House of Assembly as the APC’s governorship and deputy governorship candidates.

The group alleged that Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq and the APC leadership had settled on Salihu as the governorship candidate and Oguniyi as his running mate, while another member of the Assembly would be positioned to become Speaker.

The coalition also questioned the choice of serving lawmakers for the two top executive positions in the state.

It said the arrangement had raised concerns about the level of executive experience on the APC ticket.

The group further argued that the decision had left out other qualified indigenes of Kwara State with experience in the private sector, academia and other professional fields.

It compared the APC ticket with that of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), which it said has Engr. Kale Kawu as its governorship candidate and Rev. Fawenu as his running mate.Government