Former governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party in Nasarawa State David Umbugadu has met with members of the socio political group Coalition for Justice following his recent defection to the All Progressives Congress.
The meeting held in Lafia amid criticism from some residents who claimed the group had been abandoned after Umbugadu moved to the ruling party.
Members of the Coalition for Justice had previously organised months of protests in support of Umbugadu after the 2023 governorship election in Nasarawa State. Many of them became known for wearing black clothing to symbolise mourning over his defeat at the polls.
Addressing the group during the meeting Umbugadu expressed gratitude for their loyalty and sacrifices describing their support as the foundation of his political structure ahead of future elections.
He explained that his decision to defect to the All Progressives Congress was strategic and aimed at aligning politically to advance the development of Nasarawa State.
According to him the move is also intended to strengthen his political base ahead of the 2027 elections while supporting the leadership of Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
“My movement to the APC is strategic. It is focused on alignment that will help deliver Nasarawa State. We are giving our votes to Bola Ahmed Tinubu and his wife and we believe it will help us achieve our objective of reaching Government House,” Umbugadu said.
The former lawmaker assured members of the group that their sacrifices would not be forgotten. He announced that he would set aside 50 million naira to support their uniforms describing it as counterpart support since members had previously funded the attire themselves.
Umbugadu also used the opportunity to highlight some of his achievements while serving in the House of Representatives including the sinking of more than 1500 boreholes across communities construction of 18 primary healthcare centres payment of health insurance premiums for about 20000 people and the award of scholarships to students.
Earlier the coordinator of the Coalition for Justice James Alu reaffirmed the group’s loyalty stating that members would continue to support Umbugadu regardless of the political platform he belongs to.
He described the relationship as one built on trust and commitment noting that many women within the group had also resolved to sustain their support for his political ambitions.
During the meeting a minute of silence was observed in honour of members who reportedly lost their lives during protests that followed the 2023 election. Vehicles and other items were later donated to the group to support their activities.
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