Ex-Aide To Gombe Gov, Supporters Defect To PDP

A former Senior Special Assistant to the Governor of Gombe State, Aliyu Musa, has resigned from the ruling All Progressives Congress and joined the Peoples Democratic Party alongside several supporters in a move that further reshapes the political landscape ahead of the 2027 governorship election in Gombe State.

Musa announced his defection over the weekend during a meeting organised by the Awareness and Unity Programme in Billiri Local Government Area, where he was formally presented with the PDP flag by the party’s chairman in the local government area.

The former governor’s aide said his decision to leave the APC was driven by his support for the governorship ambition of former Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Isa Ali Ibrahim Pantami, who recently defected from the APC and emerged as the PDP’s governorship candidate for the 2027 election in Gombe State.

 Governor Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya, in May 2025, appointed Musa, alongside 15 others his aides, where he served as a Special Assistant II (Politics). 

According to organisers of the event, more than 1,800 men and women from Billiri Local Government Area also dumped the APC and the Labour Party to join the PDP in solidarity with Pantami’s governorship bid.

The supprters stressed that the latest defections is expected to strengthen the PDP’s grassroots presence in Gombe South Senatorial District, particularly in Billiri, as political parties intensify mobilisation efforts ahead of the 2027 polls.

Pantami, who left the APC following disagreements over the party’s governorship primary process, was affirmed as the PDP’s governorship candidate in May after emerging as the sole aspirant in the party’s primary election.

He pledged to pursue an inclusive administration focused on poverty reduction, education, agriculture and industrialisation if elected governor.