Defections won’t stop my gov dream, Adamawa PDP candidate

The Peoples Democratic Party’s gubernatorial candidate for Adamawa State, Maurice Vonobolki

The Peoples Democratic Party’s gubernatorial candidate for Adamawa State, Maurice Vonobolki, has dismissed planned defections from the opposition party, asserting they would not impede his ambition to lead the state.

Speaking to selected journalists in Yola on reports that 21 local government chairmen and 206 councillors elected on the PDP platform planned to defect to the ruling All Progressives Congress, Vonobolki said he was untroubled.

“If they leave, it could even help me. I was the only candidate who campaigned across all 21 LGs and the grassroots know me. They will choose me over political strangers,” he said.

Vonobolki added that voters choose leaders for their potential, not because of incumbent government structures.

He cited the 2015 result in which Ahmadu Fintiri defeated then-governor Jibrilla Bindow despite Bindow’s incumbency and access to commissioners and local government appointees.

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“That shows being in the ruling party doesn’t guarantee victory. Adamawa voters are educated and know what they want,” he said.

Vonobolki said if elected, his first 100 days in office would prioritise human development, security and peace to accelerate overall progress.

“There will be no physical development without peace, and peace depends on human development. These three pillars top my nine-point agenda if I am elected governor in 2027,” he added.

He also pledged to boost internally generated revenue by developing agriculture and said his taxation experience will help expand the state’s revenue base. He praised Governor Fintiri’s work on infrastructure and human capital and promised to build on those gains.

Vonobolki closed by asking Adamawa voters to trust him with their mandate, saying they would not regret making him Fintiri’s successor in 2027.

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