PDP Loses Gombe Campaign DG, Bello Tinka To APC
BY VICTOR BUORO, ABUJA – With heightening political activities ahead of the February 16 presidential and National Assembly polls, the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has suffered another blow as the Director General of its campaign organisation in Gombe State, Alhaji Bala Bello Tinka, has joined the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Tinka, popularly called Tinka Point by his supporters, met with President Muhammadu Buhari at the Aso Rock Villa, Abuja, on Thursday night to perfect his defection plans.
The former PDP stalwart not only pledged allegiance to the APC, but also vowed to bring his political savviness to bear on the re-election bid of Mr President and all APC candidates in the State.
Coming about two weeks to the elections, Alhaji Tinka’s defection further depletes the political machinery of PDP, which has been in control of Gombe State since 2003 when it snatched power from the now defunct All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP)
The defection is also coming on the heels of the APC’s presidential campaign rally holding in Gombe on Saturday (today), February 2, 2019.
According to sources close to the APC National Secretariat, Alhaji Tinka is expected to formally join the party, alongside others, during the rally.
Also lining up to formally switch allegiance to APC at the presidential campaign rally is the Gombe State PDP Youth Leader, Baba Sani Sakali
Forefront gathered from close associates that Tinka’s political organisation, Talba Neighbour to Neighbour played and key role in the 2015 re-election bid of out-going Governor of the State, Ibrahim Hassan Dankwambo
He was made the PDP Campaign Council Director General in December 2018 after losing the party’s gubernatorial ticket to Senator Usman Bayero Nafada in controversial circumstances.
