The political atmosphere in Gombe State has reached a boiling point as the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) fired back at the ruling All Commons Congress (APC) over the membership status of former Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Professor Isa Ali Ibrahim Pantami. The opposition party strongly rubbished claims made by the APC state chapter suggesting that Pantami remains an active member of their party, clarifying that the ex-minister formally and cleanly severed his ties with the APC several weeks ago.
The tension ignited following Pantami’s high-profile defection to the PDP in late May 2026, where he subsequently secured the party’s governorship ticket for the 2027 elections via a voice vote during a primary in Gombe. Rattled by the development, the APC issued a fiery statement accusing the PDP of “political identity theft,” claiming that Pantami had not properly resigned his membership at his local ward level and was technically still an APC member under political party laws.
Reacting firmly to the ruling party’s pushback, the Gombe State PDP Publicity Secretary dismissed the APC’s stance as the “desperate cries of a sinking ship.” The PDP maintained that Pantami officially submitted his resignation letter to his APC ward executives in mid-May before filling out his membership documentation with the PDP. Warning the APC to focus on its failing internal structures rather than attempting to derail an opposition candidate through cheap administrative technicalities, the PDP stated that it possesses ironclad, documented proof of Pantami’s valid exit.
However, the political drama is far from a simple two-party fight. The situation has simultaneously triggered deep cracks within the Gombe PDP itself. Several internal governorship aspirants and core stakeholders, including Hon. Khamisu Mailantarki, have vehemently rejected Pantami’s rapid emergence as the consensus candidate, arguing that the fast-tracked process sidelined loyal party members who had spent years funding the opposition structure. As both inter-party and intra-party legal battles loom, Gombe State remains the epicenter of intense political maneuvering ahead of the 2027 election cycle.
