2027: Goje Denies Defection Rumours, Tells Supporters To Await “Final Order” 

Former Gombe State governor and senator representing Gombe Central, Danjuma Goje, has dismissed claims that he has defected from the All Progressives Congress (APC), insisting that he remains in the party for now.

Goje’s name was omitted from the Independent National Electoral Commission’s (INEC) final list of candidates for the 2027 general elections, fuelling speculation about his political future.

The four-term senator, who has represented Gombe Central since 2011, said he was consulting political stakeholders and would make his next move known at the appropriate time.

Speaking to supporters at his residence in Gombe on Saturday, Goje urged them to remain calm, loyal to party leaders and await his directive.

“Do not listen to betrayers, go home, prepare, be loyal to our party leaders and wait for my final order,” he said.

The former governor also ruled out an immediate defection to another political party.

“I am not defecting to any party now, however I am consulting stakeholders, but I promise I will be with my supporters with or without a Senate ticket,” Goje added.

His remarks followed growing uncertainty over his political future after he lost the APC senatorial ticket for Gombe Central ahead of the 2027 elections.

Goje had contested the party’s senatorial primary but lost to Mohammed Ahmed, who emerged as the APC candidate for the district.

His supporters had earlier opposed the consensus arrangement that replaced him as the party’s preferred candidate, questioning the process that led to his exclusion.

The senator’s omission from INEC’s final list of candidates further intensified speculation that he could dump the APC, particularly amid reports that opposition politicians, including the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), were making overtures to offer him a senatorial ticket.

However, Goje has yet to announce any decision to leave the ruling party, maintaining that consultations with stakeholders were ongoing.

A veteran politician, Goje served as governor of Gombe State from 2003 to 2011 before moving to the Senate, where he has represented Gombe Central since 2011. He was re-elected in 2023 for a fourth term.

With his name absent from the list of candidates for the 2027 senatorial election, attention is now on whether Goje will remain in the APC, support another candidate or eventually seek a new political platform.