Former Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Isa Ali Pantami, has said the high level of poverty in Gombe State and the need for inclusive governance informed his decision to contest the 2027 governorship election under the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party.
Pantami spoke on Tuesday shortly after he was affirmed as the PDP governorship candidate for Gombe State by party delegates during the party’s affirmation exercise.
Announcing the result, Chairman of the PDP Gombe Electoral Panel, Gregory Yenlong, declared Pantami the sole candidate and affirmed him in line with the party’s guidelines.
Yenlong said, “Our candidate is Professor Isa Ali Pantami. He is the sole candidate. Therefore, based on the guidelines of the election, he obtained the following votes: Gombe North, 16,781; Gombe Central, 12,752; and Gombe South, 23,422.
“The total number of votes is 52,955. By the guidelines, it is my singular privilege to present Isa Pantami for affirmation.”
In his acceptance speech, Pantami said his ambition was driven by the desire to address the hardship facing residents of the state rather than personal interest.
“The acceptance is not about ambition, but rather about serving humanity. The acceptance is not about Isa, but about Gombe State,” he said.
He expressed concern over the poverty situation in the state, citing figures from the National Multidimensional Poverty Index.
“Gombe is the third poorest state in Nigeria with a poverty index of around 74.5 per cent. By implication, our people are living in abject poverty,” Pantami stated.
According to him, his administration would focus on lifting residents out of poverty through investments in education, agriculture and industrialisation.
“Our plan is to ensure we lift our people from this poverty, particularly through education and agriculture by introducing smart agriculture. In the area of industrialisation, we intend to attract foreign direct investment for our people,” he added.
Pantami also pledged to promote public-private partnerships and strengthen social welfare initiatives across the state.
“We want to establish public-private partnerships. We want to be the father of all orphans in the state, where if you lose your father, you still have a father,” he said.
The former minister stressed the need for unity and equal treatment of residents across the 11 local government areas of the state.
“There is no discrimination or any difference between the people of Balanga, Billiri, Kaltungo and Shongom, and the people of Gombe, Funakaye, Dukku, Deba and Nafada. We want to ensure that all our people are treated equally,” he stated.
He added that diversity should serve as a tool for development rather than division.
“We want to ensure that our diversity is our strength, not our weakness. We want to utilize our diversity as machinery for taking Gombe to greater heights, not for discrimination,” Pantami said.
Pantami further praised the achievements recorded during the PDP’s previous administrations in the state, noting that many landmark projects were initiated during the party’s 16 years in power.
“Within this period, Gombe State was transformed from a rural community to an urban settlement. Most of the major achievements recorded in the state were achieved during the time of the Peoples Democratic Party,” he said.
He listed projects including Gombe State University, Federal University Kashere, Gombe State University of Science and Technology, Kumo, College of Education Billiri, State Polytechnic Bajoga, Gombe International Hotel, Gombe Airport and the Dadinkowa water project as part of the PDP’s achievements.
Pantami’s emergence came about a week after he withdrew from the governorship primary election of the All Progressives Congress in Gombe State.