Gombe 2027 Battle Heats Up as Ex-APC Commissioner Joins Pantami Camp
The political battle for Gombe State ahead of the 2027 governorship election has taken another turn following the decision of former electoral commissioner and council chairman, Hon. Muhammad Ismail City, to quit the All Progressives Congress, APC, and throw his weight behind Professor Isa Ali Pantami.
City, popularly known as Katukan Akko, declared his support for Pantami, the former Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, who is flying the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, flag in the Gombe governorship race.
The latest development adds another dimension to the political realignments taking place across Gombe State as the APC and PDP intensify efforts to consolidate their structures ahead of the 2027 election.
City, who previously served as Executive Chairman of Akko Local Government Area and Commissioner of the Gombe State Independent Electoral Commission, GOSIEC, formally endorsed Pantami during a meeting at the former minister’s office.
Explaining his decision, the former APC chieftain said his assessment of the political situation in Gombe convinced him that the state required leadership anchored on integrity, competence and a clear development agenda.
He argued that his experience in grassroots administration and electoral management had exposed him to the leadership requirements necessary to move Gombe forward.
According to a statement issued on behalf of the Pantamiyya Movement by Professor Suleiman Mohammed Gombe, City believes Pantami’s experience in public administration and technology-driven governance makes him suitable to lead the state.
He pointed to Pantami’s records as Director-General of the National Information Technology Development Agency, NITDA, and subsequently Minister of Communications and Digital Economy as evidence of his administrative experience.
City maintained that Gombe had reached a critical stage where issues of economic development, security, education, agriculture and opportunities for young people should dominate the governorship contest.
He expressed confidence that Pantami’s experience and exposure could help attract investment, promote agricultural modernisation and strengthen human capital development across the state.
The former council chairman subsequently called on his political associates, supporters in Akko Local Government Area and other stakeholders across Gombe State to support Pantami’s governorship bid.
His movement comes amid a series of political realignments that have characterised the build-up to the Gombe 2027 governorship election.
While Pantami’s PDP camp has attracted some politicians previously associated with the APC, the ruling party has equally recorded defections and endorsements from individuals previously associated with the opposition.
Earlier in September, former PDP governorship candidate Ahmed Yayari moved to the APC and backed its governorship candidate, Dr. Jamil Gwamna, underscoring the increasingly fluid nature of political alliances in the state.
The emerging pattern suggests that the contest for Gombe Government House may increasingly be determined not only by party structures but also by the ability of the leading candidates to attract influential grassroots politicians and consolidate support across the state’s local government areas.
With City now aligning with Pantami, attention will be on whether his political structure in Akko translates into additional grassroots support for the PDP as campaigning towards the 2027 election intensifies.
