Politics in Gombe State is no longer ordinary politics.
What is happening ahead of 2027 is a full-scale war for power, survival, revenge, and political control.
The entry of Prof. Isa Ali Pantami into the PDP governorship race has completely changed the political equation in the state. The same Pantami who once attacked PDP with fire and brimstone during the era of Goodluck Jonathan is today flying the PDP flag.
That alone tells you one thing:
In Nigerian politics, there are no permanent enemies. There are only permanent interests.
But beyond the noise, beyond the defections, beyond the social media propaganda, the real issue is this:
Is PDP preparing to win power or preparing another internal funeral for itself?
PDP and the “Cash-and-Carry” Politics
Many loyal PDP members in Gombe are angry. Deeply angry.
Their complaint is simple: The party has gradually turned into a political supermarket where tickets go to the highest bidder or the most influential newcomer, while loyal party men are pushed aside like abandoned tools.
Pantami’s emergence reopened old wounds.
Men who suffered for PDP when APC was in full control suddenly watched the party hand over its structure to a man who once defended APC aggressively at the national level.
And the question ordinary party supporters are asking is dangerous:
“If loyalty means nothing in PDP, why should anybody continue to sacrifice for the party?”
That question alone can destroy elections.
Because elections are not won on television interviews or elite endorsements. Elections are won by angry young men in the villages, ward coordinators, polling agents, women leaders, and grassroots mobilizers who believe the party belongs to them.
Once that emotional connection dies, the party begins to collapse from inside.
Dankwambo’s Silence Is Becoming Louder
Former Governor Ibrahim Hassan Dankwambo remains the undisputed political leader of PDP in Gombe.
But many party stakeholders now believe his leadership style is partly responsible for the weakness of PDP today.
The ghosts of 2019 are still haunting the party.
Many people from Gombe South have not forgotten how internal decisions, political favoritism, and poor management of party interests weakened PDP and handed victory to APC.
Today, the same fear is returning.
Party elders are whispering. Youth groups are complaining. Old loyalists are feeling abandoned.
And in Nigerian politics, once people begin to complain quietly instead of openly, danger is near.
Is There a Mole Inside PDP?
This is the question now shaking political discussions across Gombe.
Many believe somebody inside PDP is playing a dangerous game.
Not everybody destroying a party wears the opponent’s jersey openly. Sometimes the real enemy sits at the negotiation table smiling with everybody.
Some PDP stakeholders believe the rushed acceptance of Pantami, the sidelining of long-term aspirants, and the internal confusion may eventually benefit APC more than PDP itself.
Because a divided opposition is the greatest gift any ruling party can receive.
But others strongly disagree.
They argue that Pantami brings:
national influence,
religious popularity,
intellectual appeal,
youth connection,
and political weight strong enough to challenge APC.
And truly speaking, they are not wrong.
Pantami is not an ordinary politician.
He is entering the race with visibility, influence, and national recognition that many local politicians in Gombe cannot match.
APC Is Smiling But Quietly Nervous
Publicly, APC supporters are mocking PDP.
Privately, many of them are worried.
Because Pantami’s departure exposed serious cracks inside APC itself.
The consensus arrangement in APC created bitterness. Some loyal supporters of Pantami felt humiliated and politically pushed aside.
That anger did not disappear because Pantami left. It only changed direction.
Today, many APC supporters are emotionally divided:
loyal to the party,
but still loyal to Pantami personally.
That is politically dangerous.
Because elections are emotional before they become numerical.
Can Pantami Truly Defeat APC?
That is the billion-naira question.
Pantami has popularity. Pantami has influence. Pantami has visibility.
But governorship elections are not won by social media popularity or intellectual speeches.
APC still controls:
government structures,
local political networks,
grassroots mobilization,
financial machinery,
and incumbency power.
And in Nigerian politics, incumbency is not a small advantage. It is a political weapon.
Pantami will therefore need more than popularity to win.
He must:
unite PDP,
calm aggrieved stakeholders,
penetrate rural communities,
and convince voters that he is not simply using PDP as a temporary political shelter.
That last part may become his biggest challenge.
Because APC will continue reminding voters that Pantami once stood firmly against PDP and defended APC with passion during the Jonathan years.
The opposition will ask:
“Was PDP evil then and suddenly holy now?”
That attack will be repeated every day until election season.
Gombe South May Decide Everything Again
One political truth remains constant: Ignore Gombe South at your own political peril.
The zone remains emotionally sensitive about power, inclusion, and political respect.
Any party that mismanages local interests there may pay heavily at the polls.
PDP learned that painful lesson before.
APC knows this too.
That is why both parties will aggressively battle for the soul of Gombe South ahead of 2027.
The Real Danger for PDP
PDP’s greatest enemy may not even be APC.
Its greatest enemy may be internal bitterness.
If party leaders fail to reconcile aggrieved aspirants and frustrated stakeholders early, silent sabotage may begin before campaigns even start.
And silent sabotage is the deadliest weapon in Nigerian politics.
No opposition party defeats a ruling party while fighting itself internally.
Never.
As things stand today:
APC remains stronger structurally.
PDP has suddenly become more dangerous politically because of Pantami.
Internal unity will determine victory more than popularity.
Gombe South may again become the deciding battlefield.
Religion, emotions, betrayal, and political survival will shape the election more than ideology.
One thing is certain:
The 2027 governorship election in Gombe will not be a gentleman’s contest.
It will be brutal. It will be emotional. It will divide political camps. It will test loyalties.
And at the center of everything stands one man: Isa Ali Pantami
A former APC defender now carrying PDP’s hopes.
Whether he becomes the man who rescues PDP or the man whose emergence finally destroys the party from within only 2027 will decide.
Cliff Stanley
Political scientist /Analyst
Cliffstanley3@gmail.com
07032826319