By our reporter
A group of stakeholders in Gombe State has alleged accused former Communications Minister Isa Ali Pantami of letting religious bias influence his support for a governorship candidate ahead of the 2027 elections.
The stakeholders said Pantami’s recent comments on the APC consensus process suggest he is placing religious identity above competence and party cohesion.They argued that basing candidate selection on religion could worsen divisions within the APC and among voters in a state with a mixed population.
They argued that basing candidate selection on religion could worsen divisions within the APC and among voters in a state with a mixed population.
According to the group, political decisions in Gombe should be guided by a candidate’s record, capacity, and ability to tackle insecurity, unemployment, and poor infrastructure.
The stakeholders claimed that during his time in the Buhari administration, Pantami had the platform to push for broader development programs across the North but focused more on factional politics.
They said the APC in Gombe risks losing support if the process is seen as excluding members based on faith or personal affiliation.
The group urged party leaders at the state and national levels to make the selection process open, transparent, and based on merit.
They also called on religious and political leaders to keep faith-based advocacy separate from party politics to avoid inflaming tensions before the elections.
Pantami has not responded directly to the allegations. In earlier remarks he said his intervention was meant to defend fairness and internal democracy within the APC.
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