Lawal Yahaya Gumau, the senator representing the Bauchi South senatorial district for the New Nigerian People’s Party, has switched to the state’s governing Peoples Democratic Party.
Gumau, a former representative for the Toro Federal Constituency, ran for and was elected to the Senate as a member of the All Progressives Congress.
However, after failing to secure the APC nomination to run for the Senate seat in the general elections of 2023, he defected to the NNPP and won the nomination following a protracted power struggle with Yakubu Shehu, the current member of the House of Representatives who represents the Bauchi Federal Constituency.
He was said to have received preference over Shehu from the NNPP’s national leadership and Rabi’u Kwankwaso, the party’s presidential candidate.
The congressman, together with his campaign managers and followers, left the NNPP and joined the ruling PDP in Bauchi after failing to win re-election to the upper chamber and evidently as a result of the NNPP’s appalling showing in the presidential and National Assembly elections.
After a conversation with Bala Mohammed, the governor of Bauchi State, he declared his conversion to the PDP.
The congressman endorsed Mohammed’s campaign for reelection and urged his supporters in his senatorial district to cast a large number of votes for the governor and all of the House of Assembly candidates on March 11.
He claimed that the governor has performed above average and expectations, and that as a result, everyone should support him in order for him to be elected again so that he may carry out additional development projects in the state’s and its citizens’ best interests.
“The personality that drew us to the party, not the party itself, is what matters most. As Kauran Bauchi is my leader, mentor, and the person I always emulate for political success, I joined the PDP once again.
“I joined the governor at this time because I want my people to experience the benefits of democracy. After careful research, I discovered that Kauran Bauchi is the best, and his performance is the primary factor in our decision to work with him.
“My supporters ought to give thanks to God that we have a trustworthy leader. Governor Bala Mohammed is the kind of boss who will remember his obligations even if no one reminds him.
He said, “We must vote for His Excellency to enable him to continue doing his wonderful work for our dear Bauchi State. He works not always on what people ask him to do; he does what he believes is right for his people.
In response, Governor Bala Mohammed welcomed Gumau and all of his fans and campaign managers to the state’s ruling PDP and pledged to provide them a level playing field so they could help all of his new party’s candidates win the upcoming governorship and state assembly elections in the state.