PANTAMI: RISING POVERTY IN GOMBE STATE INSPIRED MY 2027 GOVERNORSHIP AMBITION

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By: Balogun Ibrahim

Former Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Isa Ali Pantami, has said worsening poverty levels in Gombe State and the need for inclusive leadership motivated his decision to contest the 2027 governorship election under the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party.

Pantami made the remarks on Tuesday shortly after being affirmed as the PDP governorship candidate for Gombe State during the party’s affirmation exercise.

Declaring the result, the Chairman of the PDP Gombe Electoral Panel, Gregory Yenlong, announced Pantami as the sole candidate and formally affirmed him in line with the party’s electoral guidelines.

Yenlong disclosed that Pantami secured 52,955 votes across the three senatorial districts — Gombe North, Gombe Central, and Gombe South.

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In his acceptance speech, Pantami said his candidacy was not driven by personal ambition but by a commitment to improve the lives of residents.

He expressed concern over the poverty situation in the state, citing the National Multidimensional Poverty Index, which he said places Gombe among Nigeria’s poorest states.

According to him, his administration would focus on reducing poverty through investments in education, agriculture, industrialisation, and smart farming initiatives.

Pantami also pledged to attract foreign direct investment, strengthen public-private partnerships, and expand social welfare programmes to improve living conditions across the state.

He stressed the need for fairness and equal treatment of all residents across the state’s 11 local government areas, saying diversity should be harnessed as a tool for development rather than division.

The former minister further commended the developmental strides recorded during the PDP’s previous administrations in Gombe, highlighting key projects such as Gombe State University, Federal University Kashere, Gombe State University of Science and Technology, and the Dadinkowa water project.

Pantami’s emergence follows his recent withdrawal from the governorship primary election of the All Progressives Congress in Gombe State.