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

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