Ex-Minister Isa Pantami Withdraws From Gombe APC Governorship Race

A former Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Isa Pantami, has withdrawn from the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship primary election in Gombe State.

In a statement issued on Tuesday by Ibrahim Attahir of the Pantamiyya Movement, the ex-minister said his withdrawal from the race was in protest against alleged violations of the Electoral Act 2026.

He said the party failed to provide channels of communication and critical information necessary for a credible contest.

“When Prof. Pantami accepted calls from leaders, youth, women, and other stakeholders to contest for the governorship of Gombe State, he demonstrated loyalty to the APC by participating fully, meeting requirements, and following the laid-down guidelines and procedures,” he said.

Mr Attahir said Mr Pantami was the only APC governorship aspirant to send a representative to the peace accord organised by the Nigeria Police Force, Gombe State Command, on May 14, 2026, adding that his representative was also the only one who signed the accord during the meeting.

According to him, Mr Pantami was repeatedly denied access to critical information, despite letters sent by his solicitors to various organs of the party requesting details and raising concerns about the forthcoming direct primaries.

He added that the letters neither received an acknowledgement nor a response, while the issues raised remained unresolved.

“In a democracy, the law must guide the process. Non-compliance with the Electoral Act 2026 and the party guidelines renders the exercise unsafe and illegitimate.

“The people of Gombe State witnessed what transpired during the direct primary elections for the National Assembly held on 16 and 18 May 2026,” Mr Attahir said.

According to him, after extensive consultations with stakeholders and careful reflection on developments in Gombe State, the former minister decided to withdraw from the APC governorship primary election scheduled for May 21, 2026, under protest.

He said the protest was based on the alleged disregard for provisions of the Electoral Act 2026 and the failure of the party leadership to implement the framework required for a credible primary election.

Mr Attahir further alleged that no National Assembly primary elections were conducted in the state.

According to him, several aspirants claimed that details regarding venues, procedures, and accreditation of agents and observers were not provided before results were announced.

“Even though President Bola Ahmed Tinubu insisted on the necessity of free, fair, and credible direct primaries, his directives were, unfortunately, not implemented.

“Prof. Pantami had requested details on the time and place for accreditation of agents and observers, the procedures for accreditation, voting, and collation, and the location of collation centres.

“This information should have been provided to all aspirants without being solicited. As of this moment, nothing has been provided,” he added.

Mr Attahir also said Mr Pantami expressed gratitude to the youths who funded the purchase of his expression of interest and nomination forms.

He said the contributions ranged from ₦5,000 to ₦4 million, while receipts were publicly shared online by contributors.

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