Gombe 2027: Pantami dominates online poll with 83.91% of 58,358 votes - Newstrends
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Gombe 2027: Pantami dominates online poll with 83.91% of 58,358 votes

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Pantami Re-emerges as PDP Governorship Candidate in Gombe After Fresh Primary

Gombe 2027: Pantami dominates online poll with 83.91% of 58,358 votes

Former Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Isa Ali Ibrahim Pantami, has recorded a commanding lead in two separate online polls ahead of the 2027 Gombe State governorship election, attracting more than three-quarters of the votes in both exercises.

The latest poll, conducted by Gombawa, a platform focused on developments in Gombe State, showed Pantami securing 48,968 votes out of 58,358 votes cast, representing 83.91 per cent of the total.

The result, recorded as of 6:32 a.m. on Monday, August 31, 2026, placed the former minister far ahead of former Deputy Governor Jamilu Isiyaku Gwamna, who polled 7,213 votes, representing 12.36 per cent.

Bala Bello Tinka received 2,177 votes, representing 3.73 per cent of the total votes recorded in the poll.

Pantami’s 48,968 votes were more than four times the combined 9,390 votes received by Gwamna and Tinka.

The Gombawa result came days after another online poll on the Gombe 2027 governorship race conducted by journalist Mustapha Musa Kaita of TRT Afrika.

In the August 24 poll, Pantami received 521 of the 676 responses, representing 77.07 per cent.

Gwamna polled 92 votes, representing 13.61 per cent, while 63 responses, or 9.32 per cent, were recorded as invalid.

The results of the two online exercises have generated renewed attention around Pantami’s 2027 Gombe governorship ambition, particularly as political parties and candidates intensify preparations for the election.

However, the poll results should not be interpreted as a scientific prediction of the outcome of the election.

Both exercises were conducted online, meaning participation was voluntary and largely limited to people who had access to the platforms and chose to participate. The results therefore reflect the preferences of participants in the respective polls rather than the voting intentions of all registered voters in Gombe State.

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Despite the limitation, Pantami’s strong performance in the two exercises provides his supporters with a notable indication of his popularity among the online audiences reached by the polls.

The development also comes against the backdrop of major political realignments in Gombe State ahead of the 2027 election.

Pantami, who previously belonged to the All Progressives Congress (APC), is now the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate for the 2027 election.

He emerged as the PDP candidate after securing the party’s ticket in May 2026.

His emergence followed a political dispute within the APC over the process for selecting its governorship candidate in the state.

Pantami had rejected the APC consensus arrangement that produced former Deputy Governor Jamilu Gwamna as the party’s preferred candidate, arguing that the process did not meet the requirements for a valid consensus.

He subsequently left the APC and joined the PDP, where he secured the opposition party’s governorship ticket.

The former minister later received the PDP’s Certificate of Return, formally confirming him as the party’s candidate for the 2027 Gombe governorship election.

Pantami’s political profile has been strengthened by his previous experience in federal government, having served as Minister of Communications and Digital Economy under former President Muhammadu Buhari.

His supporters have repeatedly highlighted his record in public service, particularly his role in Nigeria’s digital economy drive, as one of the factors behind his growing political profile in Gombe.

Pantami has also said concerns about poverty and the need for more inclusive development influenced his decision to seek the governorship of the state.

His campaign will, however, have to translate his national profile and reported online popularity into a strong grassroots political structure across Gombe.

The eventual election is expected to be influenced by several factors, including party structures, grassroots mobilisation, campaign organisation, political alliances, voter registration, geographical spread of support and voter turnout.

The strength of each candidate’s organisation across Gombe’s three senatorial districts is also expected to play a significant role as the election approaches.

For Pantami, one of the major tests will be whether the support reflected in online polls can be converted into sustained support among voters who may not participate in social-media or internet-based surveys.

The size of an online poll should also not automatically be confused with representativeness. Although the Gombawa exercise attracted more than 58,000 votes, the figure does not by itself establish that the participants accurately represent the wider Gombe electorate.

A scientific opinion poll normally uses a defined sampling methodology designed to reflect the characteristics of the population being studied.

The latest online results should therefore be regarded as a measure of online voter sentiment rather than an authoritative forecast of the 2027 election.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has scheduled the Gombe State governorship election for March 6, 2027, leaving several months for political developments, alliances and voter preferences to change before election day.

The period leading to the election is therefore expected to witness increased campaign activities, political defections, grassroots mobilisation and debates over the records and programmes of the various candidates.

The contest between the major political parties could also become increasingly competitive as candidates seek to establish structures across the state.

For now, Pantami’s performance in the two online polls has given his campaign a significant talking point, particularly after recording 83.91 per cent of 58,358 votes in the latest exercise.

Whether that online momentum can translate into broader grassroots support and ultimately votes at the ballot box, however, will only become clearer as the Gombe 2027 governorship election draws closer.

Gombe 2027: Pantami dominates online poll with 83.91% of 58,358 votes

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2027: Ajaero Questions Tinubu, Atiku, Obi’s Economic Approach, Highlights Adebayo’s Ideas

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2027: Ajaero Questions Tinubu, Atiku, Obi’s Economic Approach, Highlights Adebayo’s Ideas
President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Joe Ajaero

2027: Ajaero Questions Tinubu, Atiku, Obi’s Economic Approach, Highlights Adebayo’s Ideas

President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Joe Ajaero, has questioned the economic positions of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi, while saying the ideas of Social Democratic Party (SDP) presidential candidate Adewole Adebayo deserve serious attention ahead of the 2027 presidential election.

Ajaero made the comments during an interview with Seun Okinbaloye on Mic On, where he was asked about the economic policies of Atiku and other leading figures in the 2027 race.

Rather than focusing solely on Atiku’s economic proposals, the NLC president highlighted the positions of Adebayo and Accord Party presidential candidate Gbenga Olawepo-Hashim, saying he had examined their ideas and was willing to listen to them.

“I have looked at Gbenga Hashim’s position and I think he’s an expert to an extent. I also looked at Adebayo. I may listen to them,” Ajaero said.

He subsequently contrasted the economic approaches of Adebayo and Olawepo-Hashim with those of Tinubu, Atiku and Obi.

“Peter Obi, Atiku and Asiwaju, they all have the same position and they have shown that they are market people from far right,” he said.

Ajaero’s remarks have drawn attention to the economic debate ahead of the 2027 election, particularly as issues such as inflation, fuel prices, electricity costs, unemployment, wages and declining purchasing power remain major concerns for Nigerians.

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Adebayo, who is contesting the 2027 presidency on the SDP platform, has built his campaign around social democracy, increased domestic production, job creation and a stronger role for government in providing public services and expanding economic opportunities.

The SDP candidate has also made energy reform a major part of his campaign, arguing that high energy costs and inadequate electricity supply continue to constrain households, businesses and industrial production.

His policy blueprint, Farewell to Poverty and Insecurity: Governance & Accelerated Development — Blueprint of a New Nigeria, 2027–2031, proposes mechanisms for monitoring government performance through measurable targets, periodic assessments and implementation milestones.

Adebayo has also advocated greater emphasis on domestic production, with the argument that Nigeria must reduce its dependence on imports and foreign exchange while strengthening local industries and productive capacity.

Olawepo-Hashim, whom Ajaero also mentioned, has similarly made energy and industrialisation central to his economic programme. His proposed Energy First agenda focuses on increasing domestic energy production, expanding refining capacity and reducing energy costs.

Ajaero’s comments do not amount to a formal endorsement of Adebayo or Olawepo-Hashim for the 2027 presidential election. Rather, the NLC president said their economic proposals were sufficiently different from those of the politicians he discussed to warrant further engagement.

The intervention comes as political parties and presidential candidates increasingly position their economic policies at the centre of the 2027 campaign, with competing proposals on fuel pricing, taxation, electricity, wages, industrialisation, employment and social protection.

For the NLC, which represents organised labour and has been at the forefront of debates over wages and the impact of economic reforms on workers, the direction of the next administration’s economic policy is expected to remain a major issue ahead of the election.

With the 2027 political contest gathering momentum, the competing economic visions of the presidential candidates are likely to face increased scrutiny from organised labour, businesses and voters as parties intensify their campaigns.

2027: Ajaero Questions Tinubu, Atiku, Obi’s Economic Approach, Highlights Adebayo’s Ideas

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2027: Soludo Govt Accuses Peter Obi Of Plot To Destroy APGA

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2027: Soludo Govt Accuses Peter Obi Of Plot To Destroy APGA

2027: Soludo Govt Accuses Peter Obi Of Plot To Destroy APGA

The Anambra State Government has declared former governor Peter Obi and his Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) a threat to the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) ahead of the 2027 presidential election, urging APGA supporters to resist the opposition party.

The state government made the declaration in a message issued through its New Media office on Monday, accusing Obi of working to weaken the party that gave him the platform to become governor of Anambra.

The government described its message as a “betrayal alert” to APGA supporters, alleging that Obi had been seeking to undermine the party since leaving it in 2014.

It urged party members in the state not to be swayed by Obi’s current political influence, arguing that APGA remained the political platform responsible for his emergence as governor.

The government said, “Since 2014, Obi has had one mission: to destroy the party that made him,” while calling on APGA members to defend the party ahead of the 2027 elections.

The development comes amid an increasingly tense political relationship between Obi and the administration of Governor Chukwuma Soludo.

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Obi governed Anambra from 2006 to 2014 on the APGA platform before leaving the party for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). He later joined the Labour Party, under which he contested the 2023 presidential election, before becoming the presidential candidate of the NDC ahead of the 2027 election.

The former governor remains an influential political figure in the South-East, particularly in Anambra, where his 2023 presidential campaign recorded strong support.

The Anambra government’s latest position also comes against the backdrop of APGA’s alignment with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu ahead of the 2027 presidential election.

The state government has previously defended its relationship with the President and maintained that supporting Tinubu does not conflict with APGA’s interests.

However, Obi’s emergence as the NDC presidential candidate has created a new political challenge for APGA, particularly because of his longstanding influence among voters in Anambra and the wider South-East.

The NDC has rejected the allegations against Obi, accusing the Soludo administration of attacking the former governor because of concerns about his popularity.

NDC Director of New Media and Strategic Communications, Theo Abu Agada, described the state government’s position as political blackmail and maintained that the party was confident of its prospects in the 2027 election.

The latest exchange has further widened the political divide between the camps of Peter Obi and Chukwuma Soludo, with both sides increasingly positioning themselves ahead of the 2027 presidential contest.

For APGA, the emergence of Obi and the NDC presents a particularly sensitive political challenge because of the former governor’s history with the party and his continued influence in Anambra.

The 2027 election is therefore expected to produce a major political contest in the state, with APGA seeking to retain its influence while Obi’s NDC attempts to convert his personal support base into wider electoral backing.

2027: Soludo Govt Accuses Peter Obi Of Plot To Destroy APGA

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Nine Zamfara Lawmakers Dump APC for ADC Ahead of 2027

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Nine Zamfara Lawmakers Dump APC for ADC Ahead of 2027

Nine Zamfara Lawmakers Dump APC for ADC Ahead of 2027

Nine members of the Zamfara State House of Assembly have left the All Progressives Congress (APC) and defected to the African Democratic Congress (ADC) ahead of the 2027 general elections.

The lawmakers cited concerns over insecurity, internal party divisions and what they described as inadequate attention to the welfare of residents and their constituents as reasons for their decision.

The lawmakers are Aliyu Ango Kagara, representing Talata Mafara South; Muktar Nasir, representing Kaura Namoda North; Faruk Dosara Musa, representing Maradun I; Basiru Bello, representing Bungudu West; Bashir A. Masama, representing Bukkuyum North; Ibrahim T. Tukur, representing Bakura; Nasiru Abdullahi, representing Maru North; Yusuf Muhammad Anka, representing Anka; and Bashar Aliyu, representing Gummi I.

Speaking on behalf of the lawmakers, Kagara said their concerns about the security situation in Zamfara had contributed to disagreements with the state government.

He said the lawmakers had raised the issue of insecurity on the floor of the Assembly, but that their position led to disagreements with Governor Dauda Lawal and their subsequent suspension.

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Kagara also alleged that joining the APC did not resolve their grievances, claiming that some party leaders failed to give them what they considered a fair hearing.

Earlier, some of the lawmakers announced their resignation from the APC in separate letters dated October 4, 2026.

In the letters, the lawmakers cited issues including insecurity, alleged injustice, internal divisions, uncertainty and concerns about governance.

One of the lawmakers also alleged that members of the Assembly had gone about 32 months without receiving salaries, allowances and other entitlements.

The claims about unpaid entitlements and other grievances are allegations by the affected lawmakers and have not been independently established in the reports.

The APC in Zamfara initially said it had not received official copies of the resignation letters. The party’s publicity secretary, Ibrahim Birnin-Magaji, said the documents had been seen on social media and that the party was awaiting formal communication through the appropriate party structures.

The defection represents a significant political realignment in Zamfara ahead of the 2027 elections, with the movement of the lawmakers potentially affecting the political balance within the state legislature.

Nine Zamfara Lawmakers Dump APC for ADC Ahead of 2027

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