The New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) in Gombe State has passed a vote of confidence on its leader and Governorship candidates in the last election, Khamisu Ahmed Mailantarki, for his sacrifice to the party.
The confidence vote was passed Monday afternoon during a review meeting of the party that brought together the state executives and stakeholders of the party.
The party came a distant third after the governorship election and rumours had been flying that some members compromised and sold the party out including the governorship candidate, Khamisu Ahmed Mailantarki. The ruling APC won the election with PDP coming second at the polls.
State Secretary of the party, Comrade Nasiru Mohammed Baba-Sherif, told newsmen shortly after the meeting that though the party lost the election, they however passed a vote of confidence on its leader and governorship candidate in the last election, Khamisu Ahmed Mailantarki for his enormous contribution to the party.
He said after receiving reports from the members of the party, the executives will seat to forge a way forward for the party.
He described as a lie, the rumour alleging that Mailantarki received #1b from Governor Muhammad Inuwa Yahaya as compensation shortly before the Governorship election.
According to him, “I was together with Mailantarki at the particular moment the rumour filtered out that Mailantarki was at the Government House receiving money from Inuwa Yahaya. It was not true”, he insisted.
Also speaking, the Minority Leader in the Gombe State House of Assembly and a stalwart of the party, Rambi Ibrahim Ayala, said “there is nothing that we didn’t see or hear. We saw a fake court order being paraded around that barred our candidate from contesting.
“It was not true, but it was circulated all over that our candidate was disqualified. The PDP was jittery, APC was jittery too. There were all kinds of propaganda, lies, just to sell their products.
“Within six months before the general election, Mailantarki brought the party, nutured it to become a nightmare to the ruling APC government and the PDP. He was seen as a threat, that was why they brought all kinds of lies.
“You heard #2b, some people heard #200m, some said #100b. They were just trying to package their products, sell their party. The PDP said Mailantarki was working for the APC. The APC said he was working for the PDP, which one will you take?” He queried.
He said in their review during the meeting, Mailantarki had done extremely well for the party. “We contested and didn’t win. We are launching ourselves back in 2027”, he boasted.
