Gombe, NIGERIA — Former Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, and Gombe State Governorship hopeful, Professor Isa Ali Ibrahim Pantami has rejected the consensus of the State’s candidacy for the office of the Governor. In a statement released on Sunday, through the Pantamiyya Movement, Pantami characterized the stakeholders’ meeting led by Governor Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya as a “coronation” rather than a legally binding consensus.
The Pantami camp argued that under Section 84(2) of the Nigeria Electoral Act 2026, a consensus candidate can only emerge if all cleared aspirants provide written consent to step down. The statement highlighted that no such consent was given by Pantami, who was in Abuja while the “consensus” was being announced in Gombe.
Okay News reports that the 2026 Electoral Act specifically narrowed nomination modes to only Direct Primaries and Consensus, effectively removing the indirect (delegate) system to curb executive imposition.
Describing the move as a “total disregard for the provisions of the law,” the Pantamiyya Movement urged supporters to prepare for Direct Primaries once discrepancies in the state party database are resolved. The legal team for the former Minister is reportedly working on a formal petition to the APC National Working Committee and INEC, citing that Section 87(2) of the Act requires a mandatory shift to direct primaries if a consensus arrangement fails to secure the signature of every aspirant.
