Gombe 2027: APC must be ready for the battle ahead
Whether it is the presidency or governorship, the race for 2027 has undeniably kicked off faster and louder than ever before. Political analysts, party loyalists, and even casual observers now agree that the 2027 general elections have already begun, long before the echoes of the 2023 results had faded. This is a unique cycle where […]
Whether it is the presidency or governorship, the race for 2027 has undeniably kicked off faster and louder than ever before. Political analysts, party loyalists, and even casual observers now agree that the 2027 general elections have already begun, long before the echoes of the 2023 results had faded.
This is a unique cycle where post-election silence was swiftly replaced by an aggressive scramble for relevance.
Political alignments and realignments dominate the headlines, and as is always the case in our political space, rumours are clashing violently with facts at the crowded intersection of misinformation and public anxiety.
In this delicate and often chaotic maze of ambition and strategy, it is not difficult to see how fatal miscalculations can be made. Missteps that could cost political parties states that should, by all indicators, be safe. Gombe is one such state. It is a classic case study of how a ruling party can lose its grip—not necessarily because it failed in governance, but because it failed to read the room early enough and act decisively.
The 2023 elections in Gombe should serve as a cautionary tale for the APC. The party might have retained the governorship, but it lost out heavily in other crucial battlegrounds. The PDP clinched two of three senatorial seats—Gombe North and Gombe South.
In the House of Representatives, they swept five out of six federal constituencies, leaving only Akko for the APC. Even in the State Assembly, the PDP made notable gains, securing four seats out of twenty-four—far from a majority, yes, but enough to show serious intent.
This performance has naturally emboldened the PDP. The numbers suggest that Gombe could be ripe for the taking if only they can get their house in order and present a more popular, unifying candidate than they did in 2023.
Many believe that the PDP candidate in the last outing simply didn’t inspire confidence. He came carrying baggage that weighed him down, making it difficult even for his party’s faithful to rally behind him with conviction. He may have had name recognition, but that alone couldn’t bridge the trust gap.
Largely, the conviction and sterling performance of Governor Yahaya have earned him support not only from his party but across the board – he presented a better alternative to pilot the state for another four years than his major challenger, Jibrin Barde of the PDP and Khamis Ahmed Mailantarki of the New Nigerian People’s Party (NNPP).
Now that Inuwa Yahaya is going, APC needs a candidate that could have an overwhelming acceptability not only within his party but the entire state, especially by vibrant youths who constitute the driving force for any candidate emerging victorious.
Which begs the question: what should the APC do to avoid being steamrolled? The answer is simple—start now! Begin the long, careful process of grooming and projecting a candidate who not only appeals to the APC base but also commands admiration and support across party lines.
May be for the APC, the prevailing political atmosphere in the state is making their seeming tedious job more simple – the recent echoes calling on one of the successful youths from the state, Engr. Aliyu Muhammad, popularly known as Kombat to throw his hat in the ring.
Many say Kombat’s “Gombe First” ideology has struck a chord, and that the resonance transcends party affiliations. He is regarded as someone who sees politics not just as a contest for power, but as a platform for real change.
Luis Achi resides in Gombe