We’re only Desperate for Better Gombe – Opposition Coalition Declares
From Laraba Usman Gombe
Some opposition parties in Gombe State yesterday said they are only “desperate for a better Gombe” and have formed a united front to unseat the All Progressives Congress (APC)-led government of Governor Inuwa Yahaya.
The coalition, driven by what members described as a shared frustration over failed promises, widespread poverty, and declining governance, includes the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Social Democratic Party (SDP), African Democratic Congress (ADC), Labour Party, and aggrieved members of the ruling APC.
Speaking at a press conference in Gombe, Mr. Jibrin Barde, the PDP’s 2023 governorship candidate, said the alliance was borne out of desperation to save Gombe from what he called “the incompetence and insensitivity” of the current administration.
“We are desperate, not for power, but for a Gombe that works for everyone. We’ve watched promises crumble and the hopes of ordinary people fade under Governor Yahaya’s leadership. Enough is enough,” Barde said.
He described the coalition as a moral and civic response to the APC’s “failed leadership,” insisting that unity among opposition forces is the only pathway to rescue the state from what he called worsening poverty and misgovernance.
“This is not a political game. This is survival. People are hungry, unemployed, and disillusioned. The APC government has failed to meet the most basic expectations of governance,” he said.
Mr. Adamu Modibbo, chairman of the SDP in Gombe, echoed Barde’s sentiments, stating that the desperation to see change has brought unlikely political rivals together.
“We are sons and daughters of Gombe who cannot stand by and watch the state sink. We’ve agreed to put our personal ambitions aside and rally grassroots support to give Gombe a leadership that listens and serves,” Modibbo said.
Also, Mr. Auwal Barde of the ADC and Mr. Benjamin Abner of the Labour Party pledged their parties’ commitment to the coalition, affirming that their unity is anchored on a vision of transparent, inclusive, and people-focused governance.
The coalition urged other political actors, civil society groups, and the general public to join the movement, which they described as a last-ditch effort to save Gombe from further socio-economic decline.
“We are desperate for a better Gombe,not because we want power at all costs, but because the people deserve better. We owe it to the children, to the farmers, to the youth who can’t find jobs, and to the women who are bearing the brunt of hardship,” the leaders said in a joint statement.
