Prof. Isa Ali Ibrahim Pantami, CON, PhD, has withdrawn from the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship primary in Gombe State, citing violations of the Electoral Act 2026 and what he describes as a deliberate failure by the party to provide aspirants with basic procedural information.
The withdrawal, announced on 19 May 2026 by his movement’s spokesperson, Barrister Ibrahim M. Attahir, comes two days before the governorship primary scheduled for 21 May. Pantami’s camp characterised the withdrawal as a formal protest rather than a simple exit, arguing that peaceful protest is a cornerstone of democratic governance.
Pantami’s legal team had sent multiple letters to party organs requesting details on accreditation procedures, voting and collation processes, and the location of collation centres, information his camp argues should have been provided to all aspirants as a matter of course. None of the letters received a response or even an acknowledgment. “This information should have been provided to all aspirants without being solicited,” the statement read. “As of this moment, nothing has been provided.”
The movement pointed to the APC’s National Assembly primaries held on 16 and 18 May as evidence of a flawed process. Several aspirants testified that venue details, accreditation procedures, and observer access were never communicated, yet results were announced regardless. The statement alleged that no actual election took place in the state, and noted that while President Bola Ahmed Tinubu had personally insisted on free, fair, and credible direct primaries, his directives were not carried through at the state level.
Pantami’s grassroots credentials featured prominently in the statement. He was noted as the only APC governorship aspirant whose representative attended and signed a Peace Accord organised by the Gombe State Police Command on 14 May 2026. His campaign also benefited from a crowdfunding effort by supporters who pooled resources to pay for his expression of interest and nomination forms, with individual contributions ranging from ₦5,000 to ₦4 million. Receipts were shared publicly online by contributors. Despite this show of popular support, the movement lamented that ordinary members at the grassroots, particularly women and youth who form the bedrock of Pantami’s following, were sidelined during the primary process.
The Pantamiyya Movement said it would communicate its next steps to followers across Gombe State and Nigeria in due course, adding that its commitment to good governance and its opposition to injustice through lawful means remain firm. Supporters were urged to remain united for the next alignment and realignment in the political space.
The APC and Gombe State party leadership had not publicly responded to the allegations at the time of publication.
