Gombe 2027: PDP Plans Mega Rally For Pantami, APC Says Opposition Have No Candidate

The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Gombe State said there is no political significant with the emergence of Professor Isa Ali Pantami as the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

The APC’s position comes as the PDP announced preparations to hold what it called a mega rally in Gombe on Wednesday, in honour of Pantami, ahead of the 2026 polls.

The announced rally is coming barely a week after the reinstatement of Pantami’s name on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC)’s list of candidates.

But the APC said it was more concerned with taking its campaign message to communities across the state than responding to the PDP’s activities.

Usman Murtala, the APC Publicity Secretary in Gombe State, told LEADERSHIP that the party had already constituted its campaign council and committees and was preparing to begin grassroots mobilisation.

He said the campaign would be launched on November 14, after which APC members would move from community to community to solicit votes.

Murtala said the party would anchor its campaign on the achievements of Governor Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya, particularly in road construction, healthcare and security.

“Our first major plan is based on the achievements of His Excellency, the governor. We will go into communities and remind people of the projects and programmes he has executed,” he said.

He added that the party would explain how the Governor Yahaya projects had improved living conditions, especially in rural communities, and persuade voters to renew the APC’s mandate.

The APC spokesman challenged Pantami’s eligibility to contest, insisting that the legal disputes surrounding his candidacy had yet to be resolved.

“We are still waiting for the PDP to produce its governorship candidate. As of now, the party has no confirmed candidate because its purported candidate is still in court. We are waiting for the court to determine his eligibility,” Murtala said.

He described Pantami as an illegitimate candidate and argued that the PDP flag bearer should await the court’s determination before embarking on campaigns.

Murtala maintained that the APC was not threatened by Pantami’s emergence, predicting victory for his party in 2027.

He also urged PDP members to shift their attention to the 2031 election, claiming that the party would not win the next governorship contest.

However, Ibrahim Sani Shawai, spokesperson for the APC governorship candidate, Jamilu Isiaku Gwamna, declined to comment on the development, saying their camp was yet to officially grant interviews to the media.

“We will get in touch after launching our campaign, in Sha Allah,” he said.