Gombe State Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate, Professor Isa Ali Ibrahim Pantami, has claimed that his grassroots political support across the state is significantly larger than his presence on social media, asserting that he has built a political structure comprising more than 22,000 members.
Pantami, a former Minister of Communications and Digital Economy and former Director-General of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), made the declaration during an exclusive interview with DCL Hausa monitored by Northern Nigeria Hub.
Responding to claims that his popularity is largely confined to social media and that he lacks a strong grassroots structure, Pantami dismissed the allegation, insisting that his supporters are real people across towns and villages in Gombe State.
“Honestly speaking, my popularity on the political battlefield and on social media — all statistics indicate this. Everything we have done, the physical presence even outweighs the social media presence. The point is, are those on social media ghosts?” he asked.
He disclosed that he had spent more than two years building a political structure with over 22,000 members, but said he deliberately kept the extent of his network away from public view.
“I have a structure of over 22,000 in politics alone, built for over two years. But as a strategist, you don’t unveil all your tools. We are silent on them, but they don’t know what we possess as a structure,” Pantami said.
On his decision to contest the governorship election despite previously expressing reluctance to participate in partisan politics, Pantami said the decision followed sustained pressure from elders, youths, politicians and other stakeholders.
He said he sought divine guidance through Istikhara prayer before travelling to Makkah for Umrah, where he continued to pray over the decision.
“Originally, I had no desire to contest in politics. But some elders, youth, politicians and key stakeholders began coming to me. I prayed: O Allah, if there is good in this and we can contribute to positive change, grant us the ability; if there is no good in it, remove it from our hearts. I went to Makkah for Umrah and prayed over it,” he said.
Pantami said his motivation for entering the race was driven by concerns over insecurity, poverty, unemployment, illiteracy and moral challenges affecting Northern Nigeria.
He argued that people with the capacity to contribute to solving the region’s problems should not remain on the sidelines.
“Our intention is not for personal gain. Northern Nigeria gave us everything — our religious education, our western education, our upbringing,” he said.
According to him, failing to contribute to addressing the challenges confronting the region would amount to a betrayal of the people.
Speaking specifically about Gombe State, Pantami identified human development as one of the state’s biggest challenges, arguing that successive administrations had placed considerable emphasis on physical infrastructure without giving sufficient attention to human capital development.
He acknowledged the contributions of former governors Danjuma Goje and Ibrahim Hassan Dankwambo to the development of institutions such as Gombe State University, the College of Education, Polytechnic, School of Nursing and the airport.
He also commended Governor Inuwa Yahaya’s administration for the development of the Gombe Industrial Park.
However, Pantami argued that infrastructure must be accompanied by sustained investment in education, healthcare, skills development and economic empowerment.
“The main remaining challenge is human development. Empowering people to become self-reliant, educated, healthy and morally upright,” he said.
Pantami also raised concerns about poverty and education in the state, citing figures he attributed to the National Multidimensional Poverty Index and the National Bureau of Statistics.
He claimed that Gombe has a multidimensional poverty rate of about 86.2 per cent and alleged that more than 787,000 people in the state are out of school.
He further put adult literacy at approximately 43 to 44 per cent.
Pantami said the figures should prompt greater attention to human capital development, particularly education.
He also expressed concern about the condition of pensioners in the state, alleging that some retirees receive as little as N9,000 monthly.
“How can a human being survive on N9,000?” he asked.
The PDP candidate criticised what he described as misplaced priorities over the past seven years, arguing that while roads, offices and other infrastructure are important, investment in people produces more sustainable benefits.
“In any society, nothing holds higher value than the human being,” he said.
On his proposed strategy for tackling poverty, Pantami said his administration, if elected, would focus on job creation and skills acquisition rather than distributing cash to citizens.
He identified three major areas of intervention: attracting foreign direct investment to create companies and employment opportunities, returning out-of-school children to classrooms, and providing graduates with opportunities for upskilling, reskilling and cross-skilling.
Using a Sociology graduate as an example, Pantami said graduates could be sponsored to acquire certifications in fields such as cybersecurity.
“Government will pay for it. Within a short or medium time, he will get certified. What he will earn annually after that can reach $150,000 — over N200 million per year,” he said.
Pantami also sought to allay concerns about his suitability to govern a religiously diverse state, stressing that his previous federal appointments required him to work with Nigerians from different religious, ethnic and cultural backgrounds.
He said his tenure as NITDA Director-General and Minister of Communications and Digital Economy exposed him to people from across Nigeria and that he operated on the principles of justice, trust and fairness.
“My mandate was not a state but all Nigeria. I worked with Muslims and Christians, Yoruba, Igbo, Igala, Ebira, Kanuri, Hausa, Fulani — everyone,” he said.
On the 2027 governorship contest, Pantami expressed confidence in his chances, claiming that he had recorded more than 80 per cent support in physical and online polls conducted across all 114 wards in Gombe State.
He also cited his tours of the state’s 11 local government areas as evidence of his grassroots acceptance.
According to him, large crowds have repeatedly gathered during his visits, sometimes preventing him from immediately entering his vehicle.
“In some towns crowds stop me from entering my car, they make me walk for 40 minutes. Are those ghosts? Those are real people,” he said.
Pantami further alleged that some of his political opponents have copied elements of his campaign strategy and public engagements.
He challenged other governorship candidates, including the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate Jamilu Gwamna, to an open public debate.
“Just invite me now, wake me from sleep, I am ready. Call them tomorrow and if they agree, let us debate. Not only him, any candidate — I am ready,” Pantami said.
He argued that his previous experience in government gives him a basis to defend his policy proposals and challenged other candidates to subject their records in public office to scrutiny.
On possible scrutiny by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Pantami said public officials should not be afraid of investigations if they have conducted themselves properly in office.
“Anyone who stayed in public office and says he fears investigation is not truthful,” he said.
Pantami maintained that his decisions while in government were guided by accountability and religious principles, adding that he expected his records to be scrutinised.
He also said his criticism of issues affecting Gombe State would not be determined by political party affiliation.
According to him, even if he were a member of the APC, he would still speak against policies or conditions he considered detrimental to the people.
“The issue is not party, it is Gombe State and its people that come first. Whatever is good we will continue, whatever is not right we will correct,” Pantami said.
