- The Gombe State chapter of the All Progressives Congress has declared that the former Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Professor Ali Pantami, remains a bona fide member of the ruling party, dismissing his sudden move to the opposition.
- Party executives at Pantami’s local ward revealed that they neither received nor deliberated on any official resignation letter from the former minister, labeling his purported exit a fabricated political maneuver that bypassed legal protocols.
- The APC state leadership categorically rejected claims that Pantami’s governorship ambition under the Peoples Democratic Party has the backing of President Bola Tinubu, calling on the national secretariat to publicly dispel the misinformation.
A political controversy has hit Gombe State following the direct refusal of the All Progressives Congress to recognize the defection of the former Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Professor Ali Pantami, to the opposition Peoples Democratic Party.
Eko Hot Blog reports that the leadership of the ruling party in the state organized an emergency press conference in Gombe on Tuesday, insisting that Pantami remains fully registered under their structure.
EDITOR’S PICK
- Hamzat Appoints Obanikoro as Campaign DG Ahead of 2027 Lagos Governorship Race
- Tinubu’s State Police Plan Gains Momentum as Amendment Looms
- Residents Raise Alarm After Two Bodies Found in Lagos Waterway
This systemic rejection comes shortly after the former minister reportedly emerged as the governorship candidate for the PDP in Gombe State, standardizing a major political shift following the APC gubernatorial primaries which produced Jamilu Gwamna.
Addressing correspondents on behalf of the state working committee, the Gombe APC Publicity Secretary, Moses Kyari, made it clear that proper legal and constitutional processes were completely ignored regarding the minister’s rumored exit.
According to Kyari, an extensive review with Pantami’s native Ward Executive Committee confirmed that 25 out of the 27 active ward officials have absolutely no knowledge of any resignation request.
The Ward Chairman, Alhaji Bala Galda, disclosed that a backdated resignation letter was delivered to his office on May 23, 2026, by a third party, but the executive committee was never given copies to deliberate upon or approve as required by the party constitution.
Kyari argued heavily that under strict guidelines anchored by the Independent National Electoral Commission and the Electoral Act, a politician cannot legally cross over to an opposition platform while their formal resignation from their original party remains pending, unverified, and completely unprocessed at the foundational ward level.
Consequently, the state chapter maintains that Pantami’s current identity as a PDP flagbearer stands on zero constitutional ground.
The party warned that jumping administrative steps to secure an opposition ticket creates a highly dangerous legal precedent that cannot be ignored by state or national regulators.
Furthermore, the Gombe APC leadership directed strong criticism at claims made by Pantami during a recent national television appearance on TVC, where he asserted that his move to the PDP and his subsequent 2027 gubernatorial ambitions received an explicit blessing from President Bola Tinubu.
Rejecting the claim, Kyari stated that President Tinubu is a fiercely loyal party leader who would never support external political maneuvers that directly undermine the unity, growth, and electoral dominance of the APC in Gombe.
Pointing to the massive infrastructural and governance achievements executed by Governor Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya, the party called on the Presidency to issue a formal disclaimer to protect voters from calculated misinformation.
