Former Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Professor Isa Pantami, has been affirmed as the Peoples Democratic Party’s governorship candidate for the 2027 election in Gombe State.
Pantami emerged as the sole aspirant during the party’s affirmation process held on Tuesday.
Chairman of the PDP Gombe Electoral Panel, Gregory Yenlong, announced the result, confirming that Pantami polled a total of 52,955 votes across the state’s three senatorial districts — 16,781 in Gombe North, 12,752 in Gombe Central, and 23,422 in Gombe South.
Speaking after his affirmation, Pantami said his decision to join the governorship race was driven by a desire to serve humanity and address poverty in the state, rather than personal ambition.
“This is not about ambition, but about serving humanity. It is not about Isa, but about Gombe State. There is no discrimination. We want our diversity to be our strength, not our weakness,” he said.
Pantami added that Gombe continues to face severe economic challenges, noting that urgent intervention is needed to improve living conditions.
“Gombe is the third poorest state in Nigeria with a poverty index of around 74.5 per cent. By implication, our people are living in abject poverty,” he said.
Pantami also outlined his development priorities, saying his administration would focus on education, agriculture, and industrialisation to drive growth and attract investment.
“Our plan is to ensure we lift our people from this poverty, particularly through education and agriculture by introducing smart agriculture. In the area of industrialisation, we intend to attract foreign direct investment for our people,” he added.
