A chieftain of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in Gombe State and prominent businessman, Jerry Joseph Damara, has dumped the party and joined the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

Our correspondent reports that Damara defected to the APC alongside a former deputy governor, Tha’anda Rubainu, who served under Governor Ibrahim Hassan Dankwambo’s administration from 2011 to 2015.

Damara and the ex-deputy governor formally announced their defection on Thursday night at the Government House, Gombe State, where they were received by the state governor, Inuwa Yahaya.

Speaking during the meeting, the notable businessman explained that he had left the PDP to join the APC to contribute to the state’s development.

He lauded Governor Inuwa’s “visible projects and policies, especially in infrastructure, healthcare, education, and rural development”, saying those achievements convinced him to align with the ruling party.

According to him, the move was a collective decision involving the former deputy governor and other prominent PDP members from the Gombe South senatorial district.

“I am a construction man, and I know what construction means in the development of a state and society. Your Excellency, you have done well to construct Gombe for the benefit of all”, Damara stated.

Responding, Governor Inuwa welcomed the defectors and described their entry into the APC as a major political gain, not just for the party in Gombe State but nationally.

“This is a very big moment for us because it signifies that there is no more opposition in the state. The backbone of the opposition in Gombe has been broken”, the governor claimed.