Gombe 2027: Pantami rejects APC ‘consensus’ governorship candidate

A rift has opened in the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Gombe State as former Minister of Communications, Isa Pantami, rejected the adoption of Jamilu Gwamna as the party’s consensus governorship candidate for the 2027 election.

Mr Gwamna’s adoption was announced on Sunday following an enlarged stakeholders’ meeting presided over by Governor Muhammadu Yahaya.

However, in a statement issued Sunday evening, Mr Pantami distanced himself from the process, describing it as a “coronation” rather than a legitimate consensus.

“While Professor Isa Ali Ibrahim Pantami… was in Abuja today evening, we heard about the emergence of a coronation which is called a ‘consensus’ for all the elective positions in Gombe State,” the statement said.

He argued that the decision violated established legal provisions, stressing that no valid consensus could be reached without the explicit consent of all aspirants who had purchased and completed nomination forms.

“Legally, there can be no valid consensus without involving the aspirants who have obtained or completed their expression of interest and nomination forms,” he said.

Mr Pantami anchored his objection on the Electoral Act 2022, particularly provisions governing candidate nomination.

According to him, the law recognises only two pathways for candidate selection. These are consensus, which requires written agreement by all cleared aspirants to step down for one candidate, and direct primaries, where all registered party members vote.

“A candidate may emerge if all cleared aspirants provide written consent to step down. If even one aspirant refuses, the party must revert to a direct primary,” he stated.

He insisted that the Gombe process failed to meet these conditions, making the outcome legally questionable.

Despite his objections, Mr Pantami urged his supporters to remain peaceful.

“We advise all our supporters to remain calm and law-abiding. However, the total disregard for the provisions of the law cannot be ignored by us,” he said.

He said his legal team was already reviewing the development, while also signalling readiness for direct primaries.

“We urge our supporters to get ready for direct primaries after addressing major challenges in the APC database in the state.”

The APC has increasingly relied on consensus arrangements in selecting candidates, a strategy often defended as a means of avoiding divisive primaries but criticised for sidelining internal democracy.

In several states, ahead of recent elections, disputes over consensus candidates have triggered litigation and factional crises within the party.

In Gombe, Governor Yahaya, who is completing his second term, is expected to play a decisive role in shaping succession dynamics within the APC.

Sunday’s development suggests that the process may face resistance from key stakeholders, potentially setting the stage for a contested primary or legal battle.

Mr Pantami’s reference to directives of President Bola Tinubu further signals that the dispute could attract national attention within the ruling party.

With at least one aspirant rejecting the consensus arrangement, the APC in Gombe may be compelled under its own rules and Nigeria’s electoral framework to organise direct primaries.

How the party navigates this dispute will likely determine not only its internal cohesion but also its electoral prospects in the 2027 governorship race.