Former Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Isa Ali Pantami, has become the center of political controversy after breaking down in tears following his exclusion from the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship consensus arrangement in Gombe State.
Pantami Rejects Consensus Process
The crisis erupted after the APC in Gombe announced businessman Jamilu Isyaku Gwamna as its consensus governorship candidate for the 2027 elections. Pantami, a key aspirant, immediately rejected the process, calling it unlawful and inconsistent with the Electoral Act.
According to Pantami, a valid consensus arrangement can only occur if all cleared aspirants voluntarily agree in writing to step down. Speaking through the Pantamiyya Movement, he accused party leaders of conducting a coronation rather than a democratic process.
He insisted that the process violated provisions of the Electoral Act and contradicted directives from the party's national leadership.
Emotional Reactions Surface
Video footage showed an emotional Pantami weeping after the dispute over the governorship ticket. This incident mirrors a similar recent event in Kwara State, where an APC State House of Assembly aspirant, Abdulmajeed Abdulfatai Arikewuyo, broke down in tears after being excluded from the list of candidates for Ilorin South-West, despite submitting his letter of intention.
In a viral video, Arikewuyo lamented that after all his sweat and effort, his name was omitted because he was a nobody.
Public and Political Reactions
The incident sparked widespread reactions on social media, with many Nigerians debating the fairness of internal party politics and the growing influence of political godfathers in candidate selection processes. Some described the APC as a dangerous party, calling for justice for Pantami.
Pantami has vowed to challenge the Gombe consensus arrangement through all lawful means, signaling what could become a major political showdown within the APC in the state.
