Former Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Isa Ali Pantami, has submitted his governorship nomination form to the national headquarters of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Abuja, despite the party’s consensus arrangement in Gombe State ahead of the 2027 governorship election.
Pantami’s decision came days after the APC leadership in Gombe announced businessman and politician, Jamilu Gwamna, as the party’s consensus governorship candidate.
The consensus decision was announced on Sunday following an enlarged stakeholders’ meeting presided over by Governor Inuwa Yahaya, who is regarded as the leader of the party in the state.
In a statement issued by Ismaila Misilli, Director-General of Press Affairs at the Gombe Government House, the party said the meeting ratified consensus candidates for various elective positions across the state, including the governorship, senatorial, house of representatives and state assembly seats.
According to the statement, “The stakeholders unanimously endorsed Alhaji Jamilu Gwamna as the consensus governorship candidate of the party for the 2027 election.”
The development, however, triggered opposition from the Pantamiyya Movement, a support group loyal to Pantami, which rejected the consensus arrangement and described it as inconsistent with democratic principles and the provisions of the party’s constitution.
The group argued that the process violated the guidelines of the APC national leadership as well as the position of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on internal party democracy.
Speaking in an interview with the BBC Hausa Service earlier in the week, Pantami openly backed the position of his supporters and vowed to challenge what he termed injustice within the party.
Pantami said the process adopted by the party in Gombe could not be regarded as a genuine consensus arrangement under the Electoral Act.
“What happened is not consensus but coronation,” he said.
He insisted that all aspirants should be allowed to test their popularity through a transparent primary election process.
“The right thing is for the party to conduct direct primaries in line with democratic principles. Whoever emerges through a transparent process will have my full support,” Pantami stated.
In a fresh twist on Thursday, Pantami’s camp announced that his nomination form had been officially submitted at the APC national secretariat in Abuja.
A statement shared on the former minister’s official X account said a delegation of supporters submitted the completed form on his behalf in accordance with the party’s requirements for aspirants seeking to contest the governorship primary election.
Photographs accompanying the statement showed members of the delegation presenting the documents to APC national officials, including the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Felix Morka.
The statement read, “Professor Isa Ali Pantami, CON, PhD, has officially submitted his governorship nomination form for Gombe State, purchased for him by youths whose lives have been positively impacted through his support and interventions.”
It added, “Today, Thursday, a delegation representing some of the youths formally submitted the nomination form in fulfilment of the requirements set by the APC for aspirants contesting the Gombe State governorship primary election scheduled for the 21st of this month, where the party’s candidate will emerge.”
The support group also called on Pantami’s loyalists across the state to remain resolute and prepared ahead of the primary contest.
“The contest is now fully underway, and Gombe State is set to witness one of the most keenly contested primaries in recent political history. There will be no retreat and no surrender,” the statement added.
