A few weeks before the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) officially opens campaigns for the 2027 governorship election, a wave of endorsements, defections and political realignments has reshaped the political landscape in Gombe State. At the centre of that momentum is Prof Isa Ali Ibrahim Pantami, whose emergence as the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate has transformed what many initially expected to be a straightforward contest into one of the country’s most closely watched governorship races.
Long before he became a governorship candidate, Prof Isa Ali Ibrahim Pantami had established himself as one of Nigeria’s most recognised Islamic scholars, an internationally respected academic and a public servant whose influence extends beyond politics. His appointment by the late former President Muhammadu Buhari, first as Director General of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) and later as Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, elevated him from a respected scholar to one of the leading faces of Nigeria’s digital transformation agenda.
During his years in public office, Prof Pantami supervised reforms that reshaped Nigeria’s digital economy while facilitating close to 5,000 federal intervention projects across the country, including hundreds in Gombe State. His record in public service, combined with his longstanding reputation in Islamic scholarship, education and national development, has made him one of the most influential political figures to emerge from Gombe State.
For many political observers, it was therefore unsurprising that even before the 2023 governorship election, there was sustained pressure from political associates and supporters urging him to contest for governor under the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC). At the time, however, Prof Pantami declined. Despite widespread speculation about his political ambition, he repeatedly maintained that Governor Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya, who is now completing his second and contesting the Gombe North Senatorial District seat in the 2027 general election, remained his elder brother. Whatever political differences may have existed between them, Prof Pantami chose not to contest against him, a decision many interpreted as placing personal loyalty and respect above political ambition.
The political landscape changed dramatically after the APC settled for businessman Dr Jamilu Isyaku Gwamna as its governorship candidate instead of Prof Pantami. The decision surprised many political observers within and outside Gombe State, considering Prof Pantami’s national profile, administrative experience, grassroots acceptance and influence across religious, academic and professional circles.
Had the APC presented Prof Pantami as its governorship candidate, many analysts believe the party would have entered the election from an even stronger position, given its control of the state government and existing political structure. Instead, his eventual decision to leave the APC and accept the governorship ticket of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) fundamentally altered the political equation.
Rather than weakening his political relevance, Prof Pantami’s defection immediately turned Gombe into one of the states to watch ahead of the 2027 general election. His entry into the opposition has transformed what many expected to be a routine contest into a genuinely competitive race.
The momentum surrounding his candidacy became evident almost immediately. One of the earliest signs came when Monica Yahaya Kaltho, a former PDP governorship aspirant who had challenged the party’s primary in court, withdrew her suit after consultations with former Governor Ibrahim Hassan Dankwambo. Declaring that the unity of the party was more important than personal ambition, she publicly endorsed Prof Pantami. In return, Prof Pantami visited her residence to appreciate her decision and assured her that every stakeholder would be carried along in the journey towards 2027.
That was only the beginning.
Within days, former Social Democratic Party governorship candidate Kelmi Lazarus also defected to the PDP and publicly declared support for Prof Pantami, describing him as the candidate with the vision, competence, integrity and leadership capacity to move Gombe State forward.
The political realignments continued. More than 1,800 members of the APC and Labour Party reportedly crossed over to the PDP in Billiri Local Government Area alongside former Senior Special Assistant to the governor, Barrister Aliyu Musa, who openly declared support for Prof Pantami’s governorship ambition.
Another significant boost came when political associates and loyalists of former Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Senator Bayero Nafada, announced that despite Nafada’s defection to the APC, they would remain in the PDP and mobilise support for Prof Pantami across Gombe’s 11 local government areas.
Taken together, these developments suggest that Prof Pantami has succeeded in attracting political support beyond traditional party lines months before official campaigns have even begun.
According to INEC’s revised timetable, campaigns for governorship elections will officially commence on September 9, 2026. If the period before the official campaign has already produced this level of political activity around Prof Pantami’s candidacy, the months ahead promise to make Gombe one of Nigeria’s most closely watched governorship contests.
One lesson has also emerged from the early phase of the race. The backlash that followed the controversial campaign song by APC-affiliated musician Dauda Kahutu, popularly known as Rarara, demonstrated that many Nigerians, including some within the APC, prefer issue based campaigns to personal attacks. Former Minister Solomon Dalung and several other commentators argued that political opponents should be challenged with facts, records and ideas rather than insults and unverified allegations. Ironically, many observers believe the controversy generated sympathy for Prof Pantami rather than diminishing his public standing.
As Gombe moves towards the official campaign season, all candidates have an opportunity to elevate political discourse. Elections are contests of ideas, vision and competence. They should not become platforms for character assassination. Political rivals today will remain neighbours, colleagues and fellow citizens after the election, and only one candidate will eventually emerge governor. Whatever the outcome, the people of Gombe deserve a campaign defined by facts, civility and respect rather than bitterness.
* Rasheed Abubakar, Publisher, Muslim News Nigeria. Email: rawshield123@gmail.com
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