Professor Isa Ali Ibrahim Pantami, a governorship aspirant of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Gombe State, has withdrawn from the party’s governorship primary election scheduled for May 21, 2026.
Pantami, a former Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, announced his withdrawal in a statement issued by Barrister Ibrahim M. Attahir on behalf of the Pantamiyya Movement after what he described as extensive consultations with stakeholders.
The former minister had earlier rejected the consensus arrangement that produced Jamilu Gwamna as the party’s preferred candidate and vowed to challenge what he termed injustice within the party.
According to the statement, Pantami decided not to participate in the primary over alleged violations of the Electoral Act and failure by party officials to provide conditions necessary for a credible exercise.
He alleged that he was denied access to key information required for participation in the direct primary election, including accreditation procedures, voting arrangements and collation centres.
“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,” the statement said.
“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.”
The statement further maintained that alleged non-compliance with the Electoral Act 2026 and party guidelines rendered the planned 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. Attahir stated that the withdrawal followed careful reflection on political developments in the state.
“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.”
The statement also alleged that directives by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on the need for free, fair and credible direct primaries were 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,” Attahir alleged.
Pantami expressed appreciation to youths who supported his ambition through crowdfunding efforts used to purchase his expression of interest and nomination forms.
He also thanked supporters, especially women, youths and coordinators across polling units, wards and local government areas, urging them to remain calm and law-abiding to sustain peace in the state.
The statement added that the Pantamiyya Movement would communicate its next political steps and future plans to supporters and stakeholders in Gombe State and across Nigeria in due course.
