No fewer than 216 members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) have officially defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Gagarawa Local Government Area of Jigawa State.
The mass defection took place during a “Citizens and Government Engagement Forum” held at the Gagarawa Local Government Secretariat. The event was graced by the state governor, Malam Umar Namadi, alongside top government officials and party leaders.
Governor Namadi explained that the engagement forum was designed to foster transparency and inclusive governance by allowing citizens to hear firsthand about government achievements, raise concerns, and engage directly with state officials.
“This forum is open to all, regardless of political affiliation. Our administration is committed to listening to the people and responding with action that improves lives across Jigawa,” he said.
Highlighting his administration’s progress, six commissioners presented an overview of completed and ongoing projects in the Gagarawa area. These included road construction, youth and women empowerment programmes, classroom renovation, scholarship provision, and the near-complete Gagarawa General Hospital, now ready for commissioning.
Speaking on behalf of the defectors, Malam Habibu Dangodo formally handed over a list of new APC members to the party’s state chairman, Hon. Aminu Sani Gumel. Dangodo praised Governor Namadi’s leadership, citing it as the key reason behind their decision to join the ruling party.
“We were moved by Governor Namadi’s purposeful leadership and his commitment to building a better Jigawa. Joining the APC is our way of contributing to the vision of a prosperous and modern state,” he said.
The defection is seen as a significant boost to the APC in Jigawa, reinforcing Governor Namadi’s growing political influence across the state.
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