Gombe PDP Fires Back, Insists Pantami Quit APC In May

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Gombe State has dismissed claims by the All Progressives Congress (APC) that its governorship candidate, Professor Isa Ali Ibrahim Pantami, remains a member of the ruling party.

PDP, in a statement by its spokesperson, Abdulkadir Ahmad Dukku, insisted that the former minister had validly resigned from the APC on 19 May 2026.

The PDP’s response followed a press conference by the APC Publicity Secretary in Gombe State, Moses Kyari, who argued that Pantami failed to follow due process in resigning from the party and therefore remains an APC member.

Ahmad Dukku described the APC’s position as laughable and accused the ruling party of misunderstanding electoral laws and party procedures.

According to the PDP, Pantami fulfilled all constitutional and legal requirements for membership of the opposition party and possesses documentation confirming his resignation from the APC.

“The PDP possesses all relevant documents confirming his resignation from his former party, acknowledged by his then Ward Chairman,” the statement partly read.

The opposition party further claimed that the APC chairman in Pantami Ward personally acknowledged receipt of the resignation letter on 19 May 2026. That evidence of the acknowledgement had circulated widely on social media.

The PDP urged the public to disregard the APC’s assertions, noting that the ruling party had held multiple press conferences on the same issue despite what it described as clear and documented facts.

Earlier on Tuesday, LEADERSHIP reported that APC spokesman Moses Kyari told journalists in a press conference in Gombe that 25 of the 27 members of the party’s executive committee in Pantami Ward had distanced themselves from the alleged resignation letter.

Kyari said the ward executives neither received nor deliberated on the letter and claimed that it was delivered by one Abba Pantami on 23 May, despite being dated 19 May.

However, the PDP countered that the Nigerian Constitution and the Electoral Act guarantee freedom of association and challenged the APC to focus on its preparations for the forthcoming elections instead of what it described as unnecessary distractions.