Pantami pulls out of APC guber race in Gombe
Professor Isa Ali Ibrahim Pantami, governorship aspirant of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Gombe State, has pulled out of race to govern the state under the ruling party.
The former Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, who rejected the consensus arrangement that led to the choice of Jamilu Gwamna, had earlier vowed to challenge what he described as injustice in the party.
But in a statement issued by Barrister Ibrahim M. Attahir on behalf of the Pantamiyya Movement, the aspirant said he decided not to take part in the primaries after extensive consultations.
He cited alleged violations of the Electoral Act and failure by party officials to provide conditions necessary for a credible primary process.
Pantami alleged that he was denied access to key details such as accreditation procedures, voting arrangements, and collation centres ahead of the scheduled primary.
According to him, letters sent to relevant party organs seeking clarification on the conduct of the direct primaries were not acknowledged.
“When Prof. Pantami accepted calls from leaders, youth, women, and other stakeholders to contest for the governorship of Gombe State, he demonstrated loyalty to the APC by participating fully, meeting requirements, and following the laid-down guidelines and procedures.”
“He was the only APC governorship aspirant to send a representative to the Peace Accord organised by the Nigeria Police Force, Gombe State Command, on May 14 2026. His representative was the only one who signed the Peace Accord during the meeting.
“Despite his loyalty, he was repeatedly denied access to critical information. Letters sent by his solicitors to the various organs of the party requesting details and raising concerns about the forthcoming governorship direct primaries received no reply or acknowledgment. The requests were not granted, and the issues remain unresolved,” part of the statement read.
According to the statement, non-compliance with the Electoral Act 2026 and the party guidelines renders the exercise unsafe and illegitimate.
“The people of Gombe State witnessed what transpired during the direct primary “elections” for the National Assembly held on May 16 and 18 May. The strength of Pantami lies in his massive grassroots support, particularly among women and youth. Unfortunately, in the recent direct primaries, members at the grassroots were sidelined in the process,” it added.
Barr. Tahir, therefore, stated that, “After extensive consultations with stakeholders and careful reflection on the developments in Gombe State, Prof. Pantami has taken the difficult decision to withdraw from the APC governorship primary election scheduled for May 21 2026, under protest. Peaceful protest is a fundamental pillar of democracy.”
He also alleged that even though President Bola Ahmed Tinubu insisted on the necessity of free, fair, and credible direct primaries, his directives were, unfortunately, not implemented.
“Prof. Pantami had requested details on the time and place for accreditation of agents and observers, the procedures for accreditation, voting, and collation, and the location of collation centres. This information should have been provided to all aspirants without being solicited. As of this moment, nothing has been provided,” Tahir alleged.
He, however, stated that Prof. Pantami expresses deep gratitude to the youth who used crowdfunding to purchase his expression of interest and nomination forms.
The former minister also thanked his supporters, particularly youth and women, as well as coordinators in the units, wards, and local government areas, and urged all supporters to remain calm and law-abiding to preserve peace and security in the state.
The statement added that the Pantami campaign team, “Pantamiyya Movement,” will communicate its next steps and future plans to its followers, supporters, sympathisers in Gombe State and across Nigeria in due course.
