Gombe PDP chieftain defects to APC

Prominent Tangale-Waja politician and business mogul, Jerry Damara, has officially defected to the All Progressives Congress from the Peoples Democratic Party, in what observers are calling one of the biggest political realignments in Gombe South in recent years.

Damara, a former PDP chieftain, presented his APC membership card to Governor Muhammadu Yahaya at the Government House, Gombe, on Thursday.

He is the Managing Director, Mesotho Group Limited and the CEO of Kugbo International Market.

The politician was accompanied by an influential delegation that included three former deputy governors, four local government chairmen, four members of the Gombe State House of Assembly, former federal lawmakers, and other key stakeholders from the zone on Thursday evening.

Explaining his defection, Damara said his decision was motivated by Yahaya’s developmental strides and inclusive governance style.

“Your Excellency, from today, my loyalty to you and your administration is total. The developmental train you are driving is unstoppable, and I refuse to be left behind,” he declared.

He added that after extensive consultations with political elders and stakeholders across Tangale-Waja, they resolved to end years of political fragmentation in Gombe South and fully embrace the APC.

“Our team has concluded that the APC represents the future of our people, and I am here today with my membership card as a symbol of that renewed commitment,” Damara said.

Yahaya hailed the defection as “a special and historic moment” for the APC, describing Damara as a political heavyweight whose influence would reshape the party’s strength in Tangale-Waja.

“This is a major political breakthrough for our party in Gombe South”, the governor said.

Gombe State has become a hub of political realignment, with a growing trend of high-profile defections reshaping the landscape ahead of the 2027 elections.

Notably, a large-scale defection saw over 1,000 members from both APC and PDP in Lawanti, Akko LGA, join the Social Democratic Party, signalling deepening political tensions.

Simultaneously, opposition parties—including PDP, SDP, ADC, and LP—have formalised a coalition under the United Group in Gombe. Led by PDP’s 2023 gubernatorial candidate Jibrin Barde, the alliance aims to challenge the ruling APC with a unified front.

This broader backdrop underscores Jerry Damara’s defection as not just an individual move, but a high-stakes political realignment with potential ripple effects ahead of the next election cycle.