Gombe 2027: Sadiq Abubakar Challenges Pantami to Political Debate
Sadiq Abubakar, the governorship candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) in Gombe State, has challenged Prof. Isa Ali Pantami to a public political debate ahead of the 2027 governorship election in the state.
Abubakar made the challenge in a statement made available to newsmen in Bauchi on Wednesday.
According to him, the proposed debate would provide an opportunity for both politicians to present their ideas, policies and vision for the development of Gombe State before the people.
Abubakar maintained that a public debate would enable citizens to assess the intellectual capacity, understanding of governance and policy priorities of the contestants, rather than relying solely on campaign rhetoric.
The exercise, he said, would also provide an avenue for the people of Gombe State to hear directly from the candidates on issues affecting their communities and how they intend to address them if elected.
Abubakar argued that political debates are important to democratic development as they allow candidates to engage directly on matters of public interest and give voters an opportunity to compare their ideas and proposed solutions.
The NDC governorship candidate therefore called on Pantami to accept the challenge, adding that the debate should focus on issues affecting the state and the welfare of its people.
He further stated that he believed the engagement would go beyond personal or partisan interests, describing it as an opportunity to place the future of Gombe State at the centre of political discourse.
Abubakar, a former National Youth Leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), defected from the party in 2026 and subsequently emerged as the NDC’s governorship candidate for the 2027 election in Gombe State.
Pantami, a former Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, also emerged as a major figure in the 2027 Gombe governorship contest. Recent reports, however, identify him as the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate following his departure from the APC.
The proposed debate, if accepted, could provide a public platform for the two candidates to outline their respective programmes and positions on governance, economic development, education, healthcare, security, employment and other issues affecting the people of Gombe State.
