By Yunusa Isa, Gombe
A former National Treasurer of the Peoples Democratic Party and one-time Gombe State governorship aspirant, Hon. Ahmed Yayari, has formally defected to the All Progressives Congress alongside his supporters.
Yayari, who previously served as Chief of Staff to former Governor Ibrahim Hassan Dankwambo, obtained his APC membership card at Kalshingi Ward in Akko Local Government Area.
Addressing party members after receiving his card, Yayari promised to leverage his extensive political networks and grassroots support base to secure victory for the APC in the upcoming 2027 elections.
“I shall deploy my years of political experience, extensive networks, and support base towards securing victory for the APC in the 2027 elections,” he stated, emphasizing his specific dedication to backing the APC governorship candidate in Gombe State, Dr. Jamilu Isyaku Gwamna, alongside all other party candidates across state and national levels.
He added that his transition is built on a shared commitment to collaborate with stakeholders to strengthen the party structure.
Local and state party leaders quickly welcomed the high-profile defection. Akko Local Government APC Chairman Muhammad Baba Marka, State APC Organizing Secretary Ibrahim Musa Bakas, and Joint Project Development Agency Director-General Builder Mahmoud Yusuf praised the move, asserting that Yayari’s deep grassroots connections mean that “2027 elections will be a walkover for APC at all levels.”
Special Advisor to the Gombe State Governor on Community Relations, Hon. Habu Kalshingi, echoed these sentiments, labeling the defection a major setback for the opposition.
“Hon. Yayari has given us tough times when he was in the PDP,” Kalshingi noted, describing the defection as “good tidings for all APC members to sleep comfortably in Akko Local Government and the state at large.”
Following the registration ceremony, the political entourage paid a traditional homage to the District Head of Kalshingi, Muhammad Abubakar Magaji.
During the palace visit, Akko West Local Council Development Area Chairman Hon. Bello Sulaiman solicited the royal father’s blessings and prayers ahead of the fast-approaching 2027 polls, appealing, “We are appealing for the royal father’s prayers and blessings as the 2027 election becomes nearer by the day.”
In response, the district head urged politicians to maintain decorum, calling on them to “play politics with decorum.”
He further commended Governor Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya for executing numerous infrastructural projects in the region, while assuring the delegation of his continuous support for peaceful democratic processes.
“I appreciate Governor Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya for executing numerous development projects in Kalshingi and beyond, we shall sustain prayers and support towards ensuring a peaceful conduct of the 2027 elections.”
Yayari’s defection marks a notable shift in the region’s political landscape, unfolding amid a broader wave of high-profile realignments and mass movements into the ruling party across Gombe State.