Pantami Withdraws from APC Governorship Primary

Former Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Isa Pantami, has withdrawn from the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship primaries in Gombe State.

Pantami announced his decision on Tuesday through a statement issued by Barrister Ibrahim M. Attahir on behalf of the Pantamiyya Movement.

According to the statement, the former minister cited alleged violations of the Electoral Act 2026 and concerns over the credibility of the APC primary process in the state as reasons for his withdrawal.

The statement accused the party leadership of failing to provide necessary information required to guarantee a transparent and fair primary election.

Pantami also expressed dissatisfaction over what he described as the refusal of party officials to respond to concerns earlier raised by his legal team regarding the conduct of the exercise.

According to the statement, letters written by his solicitors to relevant APC authorities over the alleged irregularities were neither acknowledged nor replied to.

“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 statement read.

The development comes amid growing internal tensions within the APC ahead of the 2027 general elections, with several aspirants across different states raising concerns about transparency, screening procedures and internal party democracy during ongoing primaries.

Pantami’s withdrawal is expected to reshape the contest for the APC governorship ticket in Gombe State, where political stakeholders have been closely monitoring the party’s internal arrangements ahead of the election cycle.

The former minister, who served under the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari, remains one of the prominent political figures in Gombe State and had been considered a strong contender in the race.

Neither the APC national leadership nor the Gombe State chapter of the party had officially responded to Pantami’s allegations as of the time of filing this report.

Political observers say the withdrawal could further fuel debates over internal democracy within political parties, especially as the country moves closer to the 2027 elections.