Former Minister of Communication and Digital Economy, Isa Pantami
Former Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Isa Ali Pantami, has explained that his decision to seek the 2027 governorship seat in Gombe State under the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is driven by a desire to tackle poverty and promote inclusive governance in the state.
Pantami was officially affirmed on Tuesday as the PDP governorship candidate after emerging as the sole aspirant in the party’s affirmation exercise conducted across the state.
Announcing the result, Chairman of the PDP Gombe Electoral Panel, Gregory Yenlong, disclosed that Pantami secured a total of 52,955 votes from the three senatorial districts in the state.
According to the breakdown, he polled 16,781 votes in Gombe North, 12,752 votes in Gombe Central, and 23,422 votes in Gombe South.
Speaking shortly after the affirmation, Pantami said his aspiration was not fueled by personal ambition but by the need to improve the living conditions of the people.
He said, “This is not about ambition, but about serving humanity. It is not about Isa, but about Gombe State. There is no discrimination. We want our diversity to be our strength, not our weakness.”
The former minister lamented the level of poverty in the state, describing the situation as alarming.
“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,” he stated.
Pantami further outlined his development plans for the state, saying his administration would focus heavily on education, agriculture, industrialisation and investment attraction.
“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.
