A fresh political dispute has emerged within the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Gombe State, as a leading governorship aspirant, Isa Ali Ibrahim Pantami, has publicly rejected the party’s reported adoption of a consensus candidate ahead of the 2027 elections.

In a strongly worded statement shared via his verified Facebook page on Sunday, Pantami criticized what he described as a “coronation” disguised as a consensus arrangement for elective positions in the state. The former minister, who was in Abuja at the time of the announcement, said the process violated both party guidelines and provisions of Nigeria’s electoral law.

“Legally, there can be no valid consensus without involving the aspirants who have obtained or completed their expression of interest and nomination forms,” the statement read. He stressed that any legitimate consensus must involve the explicit, written consent of all cleared aspirants—failing which the party is obligated to conduct direct primaries.

Pantami cited Section 84(2) of the Electoral Act 2026, which outlines only two permissible methods for candidate nomination: consensus and direct primaries. According to him, the current development in Gombe does not meet the legal threshold for consensus, as there is no indication that all aspirants agreed to step down.

The controversy follows reports that Governor Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya has endorsed businessman Jamilu Isyaku Gwamna as the APC’s consensus candidate for the 2027 gubernatorial race. This move has reportedly sparked discontent among other aspirants within the party.

Pantami warned that the alleged imposition undermines internal democracy and contradicts directives from the APC’s national leadership, as well as guidance from President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. “The total disregard for the provisions of the law cannot be ignored,” he stated, adding that “injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.”

While calling on his supporters to remain calm and law-abiding, Pantami revealed that his legal team is currently reviewing the situation and may challenge the process in court. He also urged party members to prepare for the possibility of direct primaries, emphasizing the need to address existing issues within the party’s membership database in the state.

The statement, signed by Professor Suleiman Mohammed on behalf of the Pantamiyya Movement, underscores growing tensions within the APC in Gombe State. Political observers say the dispute, if unresolved, could deepen internal divisions and impact the party’s cohesion ahead of the 2027 general elections.

The Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Alhaji Umar Farouk Ibrahim has dismissed allegations of a N1.8 billion fund mismanagement by the immediate past Head of Service, Abdullahi Musa describing the claims as misinformation.

The clarification follows a directive issued by Governor Alhaji Abba Kabir Yusuf during the May Day celebrations, instructing the SSG to investigate the matter and uncover the facts.

A statement issued by Governor’s Chief Press Secretary Mustapha Muhammad on Saturday revealed that during the Workers Day, Chairman of Nigeria Labour Congress Kano State, Comrade Kabiru Inuwa alleged that immediate past Head of Service had mismanaged state funds.

According to the release, Alhaji Ibrahim made this known during a Dinner and Award Night organised by the State Government in collaboration with the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) at the Government House, Kano on Saturday.

The SSG explained that the N1.8 billion in question was not mismanaged by government officials, but was instead identified as excessive charges deducted from civil servants’ salaries by loan vendors.

Upon the Governor’s directive, the SSG’s office engaged professional auditing firm to scrutinize the state’s payroll system and the accounts of the affected civil servants for the period under review.

Alhaji Ibrahim confirmed that the loan scheme was temporarily suspended to allow for this thorough investigation.

He said the audit revealed that several loan vendors had been charging workers rates far above their original contractual agreements.

Alhaji Ibrahim disclosed that the private auditing firm found that vendors had illegally accrued over N1.8 billion from civil servants through these overcharges.

The SSG revealed that based on these findings, the State Government has officially directed the loan vendors to return the N1.8 billion and it would be shared among the affected civil servants accordingly..

Former Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has announced his departure from the African Democratic Congress, citing worsening internal crises within the party and broader national challenges.

In a statement shared on Sunday on X, Obi said his decision followed deep personal reflection and “silent pains” he had been carrying while navigating Nigeria’s political environment.

He described the country’s system as increasingly toxic, saying it had become marked by intimidation, insecurity, suspicion, and discouragement, which he argued often undermines sincere public service.

“We now live in an environment that has become increasingly toxic, where the system that should protect and create opportunities often works against the people,” he said.

Obi also said he had been subjected to unfair criticism and internal pressure within political spaces he previously joined in search of solidarity and reform-minded leadership.

“Some who publicly identify with you privately distance themselves or join in unfair criticism,” he stated, adding that humility is often misinterpreted as weakness in Nigeria’s political culture.

He clarified that his departure from the ADC was not due to personal issues with the party leadership, including former Senate President David Mark or former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, both of whom he said he continues to respect.

According to him, his decision was driven by what he described as the infiltration of unresolved political conflicts and recurring legal and internal disputes that have distracted the party from national issues.

“Let me state clearly: my decision to leave the ADC is not because our highly respected Chairman, Senator David Mark, treated me badly, nor because my leader and elder brother, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, or any other respected leaders did anything personally wrong to me. I will continue to respect them.

“However, the same Nigerian state and its agents that created unnecessary crises and hostility within the Labour Party that forced me to leave now appear to be finding their way into the ADC, with endless court cases, internal battles, suspicion, and division, instead of focusing on deeper national problems and playing politics built more on control and exclusion than on service and nation-building,” he said.

Obi said he has no personal desperation for political office, stressing that his focus remains on national welfare rather than positions.

“I am not desperate to be President, Vice President or Senate President. I am desperate to see a Nigeria where people can live in dignity, without hunger, fear, or displacement,” he said.

Despite leaving the party, Obi reaffirmed his belief in a better Nigeria, insisting that competent and compassionate leadership remains possible.

“A new Nigeria is possible,” he declared.