Why I rejected Gombe APC governorship consensus – Pantami

Former minister of Communication and Digital Economy and governorship aspirant of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Gombe State, Isa Ali Pantami has explained why he rejected the emergence of Jamilu Isiyaku Gwamna as the party’s consensus governorship candidate. Governor Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya had last weekend named Gwamna as the consensus governorship candidate of the […]

Former minister of Communication and Digital Economy and governorship aspirant of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Gombe State, Isa Ali Pantami has explained why he rejected the emergence of Jamilu Isiyaku Gwamna as the party’s consensus governorship candidate.

Governor Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya had last weekend named Gwamna as the consensus governorship candidate of the party in the state in 2027.

The decision has generated controversy, with different aspirants saying they were not carried along in the selection process.

Reacting to the development in an interview with BBC Hausa, Pantami faulted the process which led to Gwamna’s choice as consensus candidate.

“By God’s truth, in terms of justice, what happened in Gombe State cannot be called a consensus. Consensus means that everyone agrees.”

“First, everyone involved must personally agree to the outcome. Second, even those who are absent must have representatives acting on their behalf.

“Third, there must be an agreement which complies with the the law and none of these three conditions were fulfilled, so it cannot be called consensus,” he said.

Pantami further alleged that the process violated provisions of the 2026 Electoral Act and recalled a prior meeting between the governor and governorship aspirants.

“We met once, and the governor, Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya, promised fairness and suggested that a consensus option could be considered.

“If that failed, then a direct primary would be conducted. As part of the consensus process, guidelines were supposed to be drafted, but none of us ever saw them. If you want consensus, you must appoint an independent committee with no bias or interest toward any aspirant and give them full authority.”

The former minister also alleged irregularities in the invitation process to the meeting where the consensus decision was taken.

“We were given very short notice less than 20 hours. By the time we saw it and began preparations, it was already too late to attend. We even sent a written message requesting more time, especially since the meeting was said to be a continuation of an earlier consensus discussion. We wanted to be present to ensure fairness. The meeting was then moved to Sunday, but no one informed us that a final decision would be made that day.”

Pantami reiterated his readiness to participate in a direct primary election, arguing that such a system better reflects grassroots support within the party.

Pantami had on Thursday already submitted his nomination form.