Gombe 2027: APC Puts Gov Yahaya’s Eight-Year Record As Selling Points For Gwamna’s Campaign

The All Progressives Congress (APC) has made Governor Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya’s performance in infrastructure, healthcare, electricity and local government administration the centrepiece of its campaign for the 2027 governorship election in Gombe State.

At its campaign flag-off in Bajoga, headquarters of Funakaye Local Government Area, on Saturday, the party presented the governor’s record since assuming office in 2019 as evidence of its capacity to deliver development, while urging residents to support its governorship candidate, Jamilu Isiaku Gwamna.

The gathering, attended by APC leaders from within and outside the state, including the Special Adviser to the President on Political and Other Matters, Kabiru Ibrahim Masari, the party’s Deputy National Chairman (North-East), the former Borno State Governor, Ali Modu Sheriff, among other loyalists.

Governor Yahaya, who addressed the gathering, argued that the APC had delivered projects across the state and urged voters to judge the party by its record rather than promises.

He highlighted road construction, healthcare facilities, electricity projects, markets and improved local government administration as some of the achievements his administration intends to present to voters.

“We have constructed roads, built hospitals, established schools and provided various facilities that communities need to enjoy a better quality of life and benefit from democracy,” the governor said.

One of the administration’s major selling points is its claimed construction of 1,122 kilometres of roads across Gombe State since 2019.

Yahaya challenged political opponents to verify the figure, insisting that his administration had implemented projects across all 11 local government areas, districts and wards. He also disclosed that the Federal Government had approved interventions on several projects in the state.

Beyond road construction, the APC is also highlighting electricity generation as an area where its policies have created new opportunities for state governments. Yahaya cited the provision of electricity to a local government headquarters that had reportedly remained without power for 12 years, alongside plans for a four-megawatt electricity project.

He attributed the development to changes introduced by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration, which he said gave state governments more room to participate in electricity generation and distribution.

In healthcare, Yahaya pointed to the commencement of operations at the medical centre in Kumo and Federal Government support for a hospital designated for snakebite research and treatment in Kaltungo.

He said the initiative would strengthen medical research and provide specialised treatment beyond the immediate community.

Yahaya said the party was targeting more than one million votes in Gombe, urging its supporters to secure victory across the 24 local government areas, 240 councillorship positions and other elective offices.

APC Candidate promises to build on Yahaya’s record

For the APC governorship candidate, Jamilu Isiaku Gwamna, the campaign is largely built around continuity, promising to consolidate existing projects while addressing areas that need improvement.

Gwamna told supporters that his proposed administration would not abandon the foundation laid by Yahaya but would build on it and introduce new initiatives where necessary.

“I assure you that the government we intend to establish will take into consideration the achievements of the previous administration and build on the foundation laid by Governor Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya through the various projects and initiatives he has undertaken,” he said.

He promised to pay particular attention to rural communities, women and youth, saying his administration would create more opportunities for them to benefit from governance.

In his welcome address, the party state chairman, Mohammed Dantata Ndus, described the Bajoga gathering as historic, predicting that it would be remembered as an important moment in the party’s mobilisation ahead of the 2027 general elections.

He cited roads, hospitals, schools and other facilities delivered under Yahaya as reasons for continuity. He called on residents to mobilise and vote for the APC at all levels in 2027, arguing that returning the party to power would allow it to consolidate the governor’s projects.

Dantata Ndus also reminded supporters that electoral victories were determined at polling units, urging them to obtain their Permanent Voter Cards and turn out to vote for the APC at every level.

He argued that Yahaya’s administration has established a development record worth preserving, and that Gwamna offers an opportunity to sustain and improve on those achievements.

The party’s state publicity Secretary, Usman Murtala, has also told LEADERSHIP that its 2026 campaign would focus on the achievements and projects of Yahaya’s administration.

Similarly, loyalists like Isa Tukur said the governor’s performance had made the party’s campaign easier because of the projects and developments recorded under his leadership.

However, the APC’s claims of development under Governor Yahaya have been facing criticism from opposition parties, which argue that infrastructure projects have not translated into improved living conditions for many residents.

The Gombe PDP has repeatedly accused the administration of misplaced spending priorities, alleging persistent deficits in roads, healthcare and education.

Other critics accused the government of concentrating empowerment programmes and contracts in Gombe metropolis at the expense of rural communities, with others calling for more qualified teachers and healthcare workers in public schools and primary healthcare centres.

The opposition also criticised the ruling party over persistent water shortages despite investments in the sector, which commentators suggest could be a challenge to APC governorship candidate Isiaku Gwamna, who has promised to build on Yahaya’s achievements.