Former Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Prof. Isa Ali Ibrahim Pantami, has withdrawn from the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship primary election in Gombe State, citing alleged violations of the Electoral Act 2026 and lack of transparency in the conduct of the process.
Prof. Pantami announced his withdrawal in a statement issued on Tuesday by Barrister Ibrahim M. Attahir on behalf of the Pantamiyya Movement.
The former minister said his decision followed extensive consultations with stakeholders and concerns over what he described as the party’s failure to provide the framework necessary for a free, fair and credible direct primary election scheduled for May 21.
According to the statement, Pantami participated fully in the governorship race after accepting calls from party leaders, women, youth groups and other stakeholders to contest for the state’s top seat.
The statement noted that he complied with the APC guidelines and electoral requirements throughout the process and demonstrated loyalty to the party.
It added that Pantami was the only APC governorship aspirant who sent a representative to the Peace Accord meeting organised by the Gombe State Command of the Nigeria Police Force on May 14, where his representative reportedly signed the agreement.
However, the former minister alleged that despite his commitment to the process, repeated efforts to obtain critical information regarding the direct primaries were unsuccessful.
According to the statement, letters written by his solicitors to relevant organs of the APC requesting details about the conduct of the primaries, including accreditation procedures, collation centres and voting guidelines, were neither acknowledged nor responded to.
The statement argued that the failure to comply with the provisions of the Electoral Act 2026 and APC guidelines had undermined the credibility and legitimacy of the exercise.
Pantami also referenced the recent APC National Assembly direct primaries conducted in the state on May 16 and 18, alleging that party members at the grassroots level were sidelined.
“The strength of Pantami lies in his massive grassroots support, particularly among women and youth. Unfortunately, in the recent direct primaries, members at the grassroots were excluded from the process,” the statement said.
It further alleged that no actual election took place during the National Assembly primaries, claiming that results were announced without aspirants being provided details of venues, procedures or accreditation processes for agents and observers.
The statement said President Bola Tinubu had earlier stressed the need for transparent and credible direct primaries, but alleged that such directives were not implemented in Gombe State.