Rival aspirants have protested the nomination of the immediate past Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Isa Pantami, as the governorship candidate of the Nyesom Wike faction of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Gombe State.
Mr Pantami, who defected from the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in protest against irregularities in the party’s governorship primary, joined the PDP early this week and was nominated as the governorship candidate by voice affirmation on Tuesday in Gombe.
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His affirmation came despite protests against his participation in the primary by the aspirants he met in the PDP, who insisted he could not participate in the party’s primary after contesting in the APC.
In a communiqué issued after an emergency meeting held on Sunday in Gombe, four aspirants — Abdulkadir Saleh, Khamisu Mailantarki, Usman Garry, and Monica Kaltho — argued that electoral laws do not permit a candidate to contest for nomination in different parties in the same election cycle.
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However, during Tuesday’s gathering, party stakeholders endorsed Mr Pantami by voice vote, signalling the party’s confidence in his candidacy ahead of the governorship election.
In his acceptance speech, Mr Pantami expressed gratitude to party leaders, stakeholders, and supporters, describing his gubernatorial bid as a collective mission to transform Gombe State.
“I stand before you with a deep sense of gratitude and humility to formally accept the affirmation as the gubernatorial candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party in Gombe State,” he said.
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According to him, the project ahead goes beyond individual ambition and focuses on justice, unity, development, and inclusive governance across the state’s eleven local government areas.
Mr Pantami pledged to run an administration that would serve all residents equally, regardless of tribe, religion, political affiliation, or social status.
“Our mission is to serve the entire eleven local government areas of Gombe State without discrimination,” he stated.
The former minister also called on citizens to embrace diversity as a strength rather than a source of division, stressing that unity remains critical to the state’s development.
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