“APC Must Not Rig Itself!” — Pantami Warns Party Over Explosive Gombe Primary Tension
Fresh cracks may be emerging inside the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) ahead of the 2027 elections as former Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Isa Ali Pantami, issued a strong warning over the party’s governorship primaries in Gombe State.
Pantami warned that the credibility of the APC primary process could determine not only the party’s unity but also public trust in Nigeria’s democracy itself.
And his message was direct:
The APC must ensure fairness—or risk serious internal crisis.
The former minister has been openly critical of reports suggesting a consensus arrangement favoring another aspirant in Gombe State. He previously described the alleged endorsement process as a “charade” and vowed to resist any attempt to impose candidates on party members.
Now, his latest comments are fueling speculation that intense political battles may already be brewing behind the scenes within the ruling party.
Speaking after his screening exercise in Abuja, Pantami stressed that direct primaries must be transparent, independent, and free from manipulation. According to him, anyone with bias should not be allowed to supervise the process.
His position reflects a growing concern among party loyalists across Nigeria who fear that internal democracy is gradually weakening within major political parties.
For many Nigerians, the issue goes beyond APC alone.
Questions about imposition, consensus arrangements, and manipulated primaries have repeatedly triggered defections, court battles, and internal rebellions across several parties in recent election cycles.
Pantami also attempted to strengthen his political credentials by pointing to what he described as his measurable achievements in public office. He claimed independent assessments once ranked him among the best-performing ministers during the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari.
Meanwhile, former Foreign Affairs Minister Yusuf Maitama Tuggar also weighed in on APC’s internal process, expressing doubts that consensus arrangements would succeed in Bauchi due to the high number of aspirants.
The developments suggest that beneath APC’s public image of unity, fierce political calculations may already be unfolding ahead of 2027.
And as ambitions rise across states, many observers now fear that how political parties manage their primaries could become just as important as the general election itself.
Because in Nigerian politics, internal battles often decide the real winners long before voters reach the ballot box.
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