PDP Factions Disown Pantami, Name Different Candidates for Gombe Governorship

The leadership tussle within the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has taken a fresh turn, with two opposing factions of the party formally presenting different candidates as the party's flag bearer for the Gombe State governorship election. Both factions are now backing different candidates for the same governorship ticket ahead of the 2027 election.

The Tanimu Turaki-led faction of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has presented Mohammed Yayari as the party's governorship candidate for Gombe State. This comes weeks after the Nyesom Wike-led faction announced former Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Isa Ali Pantami, as the PDP flagbearer in the state.

The faction loyal to Mr Turaki unveiled Mr Yayari during a ceremony on Wednesday, where Certificates of Return were presented to candidates from different states. Party leaders used the occasion to emphasise loyalty and commitment among aspirants, warning against defections after securing party nominations.

The rival group, led by Abdulrahman Mohammed, also presented Certificates of Return to candidates it said had been recognised and published by INEC.

Meanwhile, another PDP faction held a separate National Executive Committee meeting in Abuja, where former Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Isa Pantami, was officially presented as the party's governorship candidate for Gombe State.

Speaking at the event hosted by the Turaki-led faction, prominent PDP chieftain Ibrahim Turaki declared that candidates would be required to sign binding undertakings before their names are submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

Pantami's emergence as the PDP governorship candidate on the platform of the Wike-led faction has been mired in controversy since his defection from the All Progressives Congress (APC). Pantami secured the ticket shortly after defecting from the All Progressives Congress (APC), following his allegations of unfair treatment by the APC leadership in Gombe State.

His emergence had triggered strong opposition from other PDP governorship aspirants in Gombe State. Two governorship aspirants of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Gombe State, Hamisu Mailantarki and Usman Garry, rejected the endorsement of Isa Pantami as the party's governorship candidate, describing the endorsement as a "political jamboree" and a clear act of injustice. Speaking at separate press conferences, both Messrs Mailantarki and Garry kicked against the affirmation of Mr Pantami as the flagbearer of the Nyesom Wike-led faction of the PDP for the 2027 election.

Mr Mailantarki questioned the legitimacy of Mr Pantami's emergence, alleging that the former Minister of Communications and Digital Economy had only recently left the APC and had not properly participated in the PDP governorship process.

The controversy surrounding Pantami's candidacy has been further compounded by a running battle with the APC over his party membership. The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Gombe State has dismissed claims by the All Progressives Congress (APC) that its governorship candidate, Professor Isa Ali Ibrahim Pantami, remains a member of the ruling party. PDP, in a statement by its spokesperson, Abdulkadir Ahmad Dukku, insisted that the former minister had validly resigned from the APC on 19 May 2026. The PDP's response followed a press conference by the APC Publicity Secretary in Gombe State, Moses Kyari, who argued that Pantami failed to follow due process in resigning from the party and therefore remains an APC member.

Mr Pantami's endorsement by the rival group has further complicated the battle for control of the PDP structure in Gombe State, leaving the party with two prominent figures laying claim to its governorship ticket. With the countdown to the 2027 elections already underway, the deepening crisis threatens to weaken the PDP's chances of mounting a strong challenge in Gombe unless a political settlement is reached.

The emergence of two rival candidates is expected to set the stage for a fresh legal battle within the PDP, with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) likely to be drawn into the fray to determine which of the candidates would carry the party's flag in the forthcoming election.

The development further deepens the crisis rocking the PDP at the national level, with the Wike-led and Turaki-led factions locked in a fierce battle for the soul of the once-dominant opposition party.