By Jamila Muhammad

Some supporters of Senator Muhammadu Danjuma Goje in Akko Local Government Area of Gombe State have rejected an endorsement of two ADC candidates by a group claiming to represent the senator’s support base.

The disagreement followed a meeting where some individuals identified as supporters of Mr Goje endorsed Barrister Idris Abdullahi, the ADC senatorial candidate, and Dr Bashir Abdullahi Gaddafi, the party’s candidate for Akko Federal Constituency.

But another group of supporters has distanced itself from the endorsement, saying the meeting represented only a section of Mr Goje’s supporters and should not be interpreted as the collective position of his support base in Akko.

Speaking on behalf of the group after a meeting, Barrister Saidu Muazu Kumo reaffirmed their loyalty to Senator Goje but said such loyalty should not be interpreted as automatic support for every political decision or candidate associated with people operating within the senator’s support structure.

Mr Kumo said the group was particularly concerned about attempts to portray the endorsement of the two ADC candidates as a unanimous decision of Senator Goje’s supporters in the local government.

“We are with Senator Muhammadu Danjuma Goje, but we cannot accept the imposition of candidates whom we believe do not possess the character, discipline and proper upbringing expected of someone seeking to represent the people,” he said.

He argued that political loyalty should not prevent supporters from expressing independent views or disagreeing with decisions they consider contrary to their interests.

According to him, supporters should be allowed to assess candidates based on their character, conduct, credibility and capacity to represent their constituents.

The group also said the endorsement of Mr Idris Abdullahi and Dr Gaddafi should not be presented as a unanimous decision by Senator Goje’s supporters in Akko.

Mr Kumo urged political stakeholders and members of the public to distinguish between the actions of individual supporters and the broader position of the senator’s support base.

He said doing so would help prevent what he described as a misleading impression that all Goje supporters in Akko had agreed on the endorsement.

The group also appealed for restraint and political maturity, urging supporters of Senator Goje to resolve their differences through dialogue and democratic engagement.

Mr Kumo said disagreements within a political support structure should not lead to confrontation, adding that no individual should claim to speak for an entire support base without broad consultation.

The group reaffirmed its loyalty to Senator Goje, while maintaining that its position on the ADC candidates was an independent political decision.

It said supporting Senator Goje remained separate from the question of which candidates individual supporters would back in the forthcoming elections.

By  Auwal Ahmad Umar

Honourable Khamisu Ahmed Mailantarki has announced plans to return to court to challenge Prof. Isa Ali Ibrahim Pantami’s participation in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship primary held in Gombe State on Tuesday.

Mailantarki, who addressed journalists after the exercise, also claimed that he should be declared the winner of the primary on the grounds that Pantami was allegedly not qualified to participate in the contest.

The primary was conducted pursuant to an earlier judgment of the Federal High Court, which ordered the PDP to organise a fresh governorship primary after nullifying an earlier process that produced Pantami as the party’s candidate.

At Tuesday’s rerun, Mailantarki was declared the first runner-up, while Pantami participated in the election and emerged as the candidate of the party.

But Mailantarki disputed the validity of Pantami’s participation, arguing that the Electoral Act required the names of eligible aspirants to have been submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) within the prescribed period before the primary.

He said he had earlier notified both the PDP and INEC through his lawyers of his position, citing the recent Supreme Court decision on the relevant provisions of the Electoral Act.

“Despite our warnings, the PDP went ahead and fielded Isa Ali, who by his own showing was not a member of the party at the time 21 days before the primaries,” Mailantarki said.

According to him, only aspirants who met the statutory requirements as at the relevant date should have been allowed to contest.

He argued that, with Pantami excluded from the contest, the primary should effectively be considered a contest between himself and Aliyu Gari, whom he said were the persons qualified to participate at the material time.

“It is on that note I believe that because the primaries will be between those who are qualified to contest, this primary effectively was between myself and Gari, and having secured the higher votes over and above Gari, I ought to be declared winner,” he said.

Mailantarki said he would consult his lawyers and other legal advisers before deciding on the next steps, including challenging the outcome in court.

The latest development could further deepen the legal battle surrounding the PDP’s 2027 governorship ticket in Gombe State, following the earlier court-ordered rerun and competing claims over who was legally qualified to participate.

Mailantarki thanked journalists and other participants for attending the briefing, saying he hoped the matter would ultimately be resolved through the appropriate legal channels.

By Auwal Abdullah

The Igbo Delegates Assembly (IDA), representing Ndigbo across the 19 Northern States and the Federal Capital Territory, has said it is yet to adopt any presidential candidate ahead of the 2027 general elections.

The Assembly said it was currently assessing the major presidential contenders, their programmes, policies, antecedents and commitments before deciding which candidate would best serve the interests and aspirations of Ndigbo.

The position followed reports claiming that the Igbo Political Movement of the Assembly had endorsed President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for a second term and was targeting two million votes for him in the 2027 presidential election.

However, the IDA, in a statement signed by its President-General, Chief Kenneth Okeugo, and Secretary-General, Hon. Donatus Nwugo, categorically dissociated itself from the purported endorsement.

The Assembly said no individual, group or organisation had been authorised to commit it to any presidential candidate without the approval of its appropriate organs.

According to the leadership, the Assembly has constituted a committee, chaired by one of its Zonal Deputy President-Generals, to undertake a comprehensive assessment of the political landscape and evaluate the presidential candidates and their positions on issues affecting Ndigbo.

The committee’s report, it said, will be considered at the Assembly’s last Quarterly Meeting preceding the 2027 presidential election, after which a decision on whether to adopt or support a candidate will be taken.

The development effectively leaves open the political alignment of a significant bloc of Ndigbo resident in Northern Nigeria and the FCT as the 2027 election approaches.

The Assembly also rejected the reported two-million-vote target, describing it as a gross underestimation of the electoral strength and political value of Ndigbo across the North and FCT.

It warned against attempts to appropriate or present the votes of Ndigbo as already committed to any candidate without due consultation and authorisation.

The IDA urged Ndigbo and the general public to disregard reports suggesting that it had already chosen a presidential candidate, stressing that its eventual position would be guided by the candidate and political platform offering the most credible pathway to advancing the interests, security, unity, dignity and prosperity of Ndigbo.