Gwamna, Braithwaite quit PDP for APC

Despite the confusion and controversies trailing the governorship primaries of the Al Progressives Congress (APC), some chieftain from the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), yesterday, announced their defection to the ruling party.

In Gombe, Dr. Jamilu Isyaku Gwamna, who contested and lost the PDP governorship ticket to Senator Bayero Nafada, expressed dissatisfaction with the primary election and moved over to APC alongside his supporters.

This is just as a Lagos–based lawyer, Mr. Olumide Braithwaite, joined other notable politicians to renounce their membership of PDP and declared for the ruling party in Lagos State at a ceremony, which took place at Agege Stadium.

Olumide, a son of the late elder statesman, Dr. Tunji Braithwaite, leader of the Nigeria Advance Party (NAP), until recently, stood for primaries for the Lagos Central Senatorial District in 2015 and was also a member of the 40-man Caretaker Committee of the PDP Lagos State. 

He attributed the leadership problems that have plagued the PDP in recent times in Lagos as one of the factors that informed his decision to decamp.

Describing the issue of the various personalities that have recently decamped from one party to another, Braithwaite said he consulted members of his constituency, adding that he was not one to take such decisions lightly as a matter of principle.

He commended the anti-corruption campaign of President Muhammadu Buhari as a continuing work in progress that requires the support of all Nigerians both home and abroad.

Gwanma, who was until recently, the Kano Electricity Distribution Company (KEDCO), told journalists in Gombe yesterday that he dumped PDPy for APC in anger over alleged manipulation of party’s primary election, which Senator Bayero Nafada emerged as winner with 1104 votes beating 12 other candidates. 

The PDP held the governorship primary through Monday night to the early hours of Tuesday after it was aborted midway on Sunday night when some of the party stakeholders stormed the Gombe State Government House Banquet Hall venue of the exercise and tore open the ballot boxes in protest over alleged manipulations.

While Gwamna, the runner up got 147 votes, Ahmed Walama and Hassan Mohammadu  got 16 votes each.

While urging all his supporters to decamp to APC and vote for Inuwa Yahya during the 2019 general election, Gwamna said: “Rather than deepening democracy and good governance, the PDP administration has squandered its goodwill and deepened corruption and abuse of public trust. 

“I didn’t contest for the office of the of governor of Gombe for my personal interest, I contested because you the people of Gombe State asked me to. Our expectations can no longer be guaranteed under PDP.”

Gwamna, who joined PDP in 2007, said it was time to join APC, whose presidential candidate has in the last three years proved his love and commitment to the development of Nigeria.