The campaign organisation of former Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Professor Isa Pantami, has alleged that it is aware of individuals working behind the scenes to frustrate his bid to become governor of Gombe State in 2027.
The allegation comes amid growing controversy over Pantami’s emergence as the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate and his exclusion from the list published by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
In a statement issued on October 10, 2026, the Pantami Campaign Organisation and the Pantamiyya Movement accused unnamed individuals of attempting to frustrate what they described as good and responsible leadership in Gombe State.
The statement, signed by Professor Suleiman Mohammed Gombe, however, did not identify those allegedly involved.
‘We are aware of the people working behind the scenes to frustrate good and responsible leadership in Gombe State, but our legal and liaison teams are already engaging with the relevant organs of the party and INEC to ensure full compliance and rectification within the window provided by law. By the grace of Allah, this matter will be resolved,’ the statement read.
The campaign urged Pantami’s supporters to remain calm, describing the controversy surrounding his candidacy as a temporary challenge.
It maintained that consultations with the PDP and INEC were ongoing to resolve the matter within the period permitted by law.
Pantami’s governorship ambition has been engulfed in controversy despite his victory in the PDP’s court-ordered primary rerun held on September 29, 2026.
The former minister secured 2,054 votes, defeating Khamisu Mailantarki, who polled 389 votes, while Aliyu Garry received 112 votes.
The rerun followed a September 24 judgment of the Federal High Court in Gombe, which nullified the earlier primary that produced Pantami as the party’s candidate.
However, the fresh exercise triggered another dispute after Mailantarki rejected the outcome and demanded that Pantami’s votes be cancelled.
Mailantarki alleged that Pantami was ineligible to contest the primary because he joined the PDP after the May 10 deadline for submitting the party’s membership register to INEC.
The former minister had defected from the All Progressives Congress (APC) through a letter dated May 19, 2026, following disagreements with the party’s leadership in Gombe State.
Mailantarki insisted that Pantami’s votes should be invalidated and demanded recognition as the PDP’s duly nominated governorship candidate.
Garry also rejected the rerun results, describing the exercise as fundamentally flawed and threatening legal action.
Pantami’s subsequent omission from INEC’s published list of candidates further complicated the dispute over the party’s governorship ticket.
Despite the development, his campaign expressed confidence that the matter would be resolved, maintaining that its legal and liaison teams were engaging the relevant authorities.
The controversy remains unresolved ahead of the 2027 governorship election.