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  • Gombe: After quitting APC, Former minister, Isa Pantami, clinches PDP guber ticket

    Gombe: After quitting APC, Former minister, Isa Pantami, clinches PDP guber ticket

    Recall that Pantami joined the PDP after his exit from the All Progressives Congress (APC) following his inability to clinch the gubernatorial ticket of the party

    Former Minister of Communication and Digital Economy, Isa Pantami, has emerged as the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Gombe State.

    He was announced as the candidate of the party for the 2027 gubernatorial election in the North-East State at an event on Tuesday.

    Recall that Pantami joined the PDP after his exit from the All Progressives Congress (APC) following his inability to clinch the gubernatorial ticket of the ruling party.

    He was said to have reached out to key figures in Gombe PDP on the possibility of being the party’s flagbearer.

    Speaking at Pantami’s candidature declaration, the Chairman of the PDP Gombe Electoral Panel, Gregory Yenlong, declared Pantami the sole candidate and affirmed him in line with the party’s guidelines.

    “Our candidate is Professor Isa Ali Pantami. He is the sole candidate. Therefore, based on the guidelines of the election, he obtained the following votes: Gombe North, 16,781; Gombe Central, 12,752; and Gombe South, 23,422.

    “The total number of votes is 52,955. By the guidelines, it is my singular privilege to present Isa Pantami for affirmation,” Yenlong said.

    Speaking at the gathering attended by Senator Ibrahim Dankwambo, who is also a former governor of Gombe State, Pantami said his decision to contest for the gubernatorial election under the PDP was driven by personal interest.

    He disclosed that his decision to seek the PDP ticket was informed by the need to address the widespread poverty and hardship that residents of the state are grappling with.

    Pantami, who also attributed his ambition to the need for inclusive governance in the state, expressed concern over the poverty situation in the state, citing figures from the National Multidimensional Poverty Index.

    “The acceptance is not about ambition, but rather about serving humanity. The acceptance is not about Isa, but about Gombe State,” he said.

  • 2027 polls and the politics of primary elections

    2027 polls and the politics of primary elections

    Although, the process of appeal has been announced for those who are dissatisfied with the screening process and their disqualification from the primary, the decisions of the screening committee do not look like ones that can be successfully contested and overturned as it is more about political gamesmanship and horse-trading and less about fair, transparent and credible clearing of candidates for the primary election.

    In some ways, the build-up to the 2027 general elections is different from previous elections in recent memory, especially in the area of how political parties select candidates to be their flagbearers in next year’s elections. In the amended electoral act passed into law in March, an indirect primary, where selected or elected delegates, vote for who will be the candidate of the party for an elective public office, was scrapped, leaving only direct primary and consensus as the acceptable and legally recognised methods through which anyone seeking to vie for public office can emerge as his/her political party candidate.

    Many have voiced their concern and faulted the expunging of the indirect primary option from the new electoral act. They opined that for a nation where there is an acute infrastructural deficit, basic record-keeping is a herculean task and people are constantly looking for ways to game the system and shortchange others to achieve their political goals, no political party can boast of the massive logistical requirements, the top-notch organisation and total discipline needed to conduct a direct primary. They also argued that going through the consensus route could breed dissatisfaction, disenchantment and animosity among party members which could in turn undermine the chances of the political parties in the elections proper as vindictive and spiteful party members who felt cheated and shortchanged would work against the party.

    To avoid the tedious, cumbersome and tempestuous nature of direct primary, most parties have settled for consensus as a method of candidates With the deadline for the primary election fast approaching, political parties, especially the ruling party, have begun announcing their candidates for different positions. But with this announcement comes a plethora of intrigues. The announcement carries with it the result of eccentricity, past missteps and political miscalculations with some already counting the cost of being schemed out in an arrangement that will essentially determine the trajectory of their political career.

    Across many states of the Federation, losers and winners are already emerging from the primary election arrangement and while those who don’t have it their way have taken the outcome in good faith others simply feel betrayed and unjustly treated. Many of those who belong to the latter group have begun plans to pursue their political ambition somewhere else.

    In Rivers, the running cold war and power tussle between the state governor, Sim Fubara, and the minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, for control of the state political structures played a crucial role in deciding who got cleared to contest the primary election for the 2027 election in the state. On Sunday, the All Progressives Congress, APC, in the state, released the list of cleared and disqualified aspirants ahead of the party’s primaries for the 2027 general elections.

    In what appeared to be a referendum on the warring political gladiators, 33 aspirants were cleared to participate in the primaries, while 65 others were not cleared. Interestingly, all 32 aspirants believed to be Governor Fubara’s men were disqualified from the exercise while serving members of the Rivers State House of Assembly loyal to the minister, were cleared.

    Although, the process of appeal has been announced for those who are dissatisfied with the screening process and their disqualification from the primary, the decisions of the screening committee do not look like ones that can be successfully contested and overturned as it is more about political gamesmanship and horse-trading and less about fair, transparent and credible clearing of candidates for the primary election.

    The disqualification of Fubara’s loyalists is a huge blow to his second-term ambition and will undoubtedly leave him in a quagmire. It is a sign of unpalatable events that are to follow and an indication that he too is walking a tightrope. The governor has not made any comment publicly since the screening exercise. It is a clear indication that things may now bode well for him in the future. Even if he somehow gets the APC governorship ticket and eventually wins a second term he will have to contend with the very lawmakers and other forces that undermined him and orchestrated the crisis he faced in his first term.

    In Gombe State, the unfolding intrigues and drama regarding how candidates emerged, particularly the governorship candidate, are far more tense. Last week, the APC in the state announced consensus candidates for different elective positions. The party announced Dr Jamilu Shaiyaku Gwamna as its consensus governorship candidate for the 2027 election, dropping former Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Isa Pantami, from the race.

    The decision was reached during an enlarged stakeholders’ meeting presided over by the state party leader and Governor, Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya. The party leadership in the state said It said the move was aimed at strengthening internal cohesion, minimising internal wrangling, and projecting a united front ahead of the elections.

    The consensus arrangement was also adopted for other elective positions in the state, as candidates were chosen for the three senatorial districts, six House of Representatives seats and all 24 State House of Assembly constituencies.

    For the Senate, the party adopted Mohammed Ahmadu Deba for Gombe Central, Jerry Damara for Gombe South, and Governor Inuwa Yahaya for Gombe North. In the House of Representatives category, candidates include Usman Bello Kumo (Akko), Inuwa Garba (Yamaltu/Deba), Ali Isa JC (Balanga/Billiri), Fatima Binta Bello (Kaltungo/Shongom), Saddam Bello (Gombe/Kwami/Funakaye), and Jamilu Shabewa (Dukku/Nafada).

    However, Pantami has vehemently rejected the consensus arrangement, calling it an injustice and insisting on direct primary. He said he would be victorious and would emerge as the governorship candidate of the party if a direct primary were conducted. He vowed to challenge the consensus arrangement even if it cost him his life.

    “I will challenge this injustice of the Gombe APC governorship consensus even if I lose my life doing it. If it’s a direct primary, everybody knows, we will win. If there’s no justice, I will fight it legally, a fight like never seen before in Nigeria,” he said in an interview with BBC Hausa. Last Friday, Pantami, ignoring the consensus arrangement, submitted his governorship nomination form to the national headquarters of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Abuja.

    In Katsina state, APC member of the House of Representatives from Katsina State, Shehu Tafoki, has defected to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) after the party refused to adopt him as the consensus candidate for the 2027 general election. Following in the footsteps of Tafoki, who currently represents Kankara/Faskari/Sabuwa federal constituency at the national assembly, the party’s central zonal youth leader, Ismail Yandaki, also left the party for PDP after he failed to get a consensus ticket to represent Kaita in the House of Assembly. Surajo Abduljabbar, who sought the APC consensus ticket to contest the Bakori/Danja seat, followed suit.

    In Kano State, seven APC aspirants for the Kano Central Senatorial District have shelved their ambitions after the party adopted former Governor Ibrahim Shekarau as its candidate. The alignment that produced Shekarau as the consensus candidate is not without any hiccup as the leading and major contender in the race was noticeably absent.

    As the deadline for the candidates’ emergence approaches and we inch closer to elections proper, the scale and depth of the discontent and grievances of those unhappy and affected by the outcome of the primary election and consensus arrangement will become glaring and to what extent such feelings of dissatisfaction and disaffection will affect the political parties involved during elections is something that will be determined by the electorate.

  • ‘Mandara Mountains, Borno Museum, …’ – Historic Sites Affected by UK All -Travel Ban

    ‘Mandara Mountains, Borno Museum, …’ – Historic Sites Affected by UK All -Travel Ban

    On November 10, the United Kingdom’s Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Office (FCDO) issued a travel advisory warning against traveling to several Nigerian states due to violent crime, rising insecurity, terrorism, and kidnappings.

    The FCDO, via its latest Foreign Travel Advice published on GOV.UK, mentioned six Nigerian states with an all-travel ban and eleven states, including outer suburbs of Abuja, with essential travel alone.

    It further advised against all travel to the riverine areas of Delta, Bayelsa, Rivers, Akwa Ibom, and Cross River states due to militant groups and attacks on oil and gas infrastructure.

    Six Nigerian states with an all-travel ban are Borno, Yobe, Adamawa, Gombe, Katsina, and Zamfara, while eleven states with essential travel only are Bauchi, Kaduna, Kano, Kebbi, Jigawa, Sokoto, Niger, Kogi, Plateau, and Taraba.

    Economists told WITHIN NIGERIA that the UK travel ban will have economic consequences because it will limit the influx of foreigners, especially tourists and researchers, into the country.

    According to economists, the decision, particularly the all-travel ban, would deny foreigners, particularly tourists and researchers, from visiting historic or tourist sites, which would drastically affect the IGR of highlighted states.

    Here is a list of historic sites in six Nigerian states with All-Travel Ban:

    BORNO MUSEUM

    The Borno Museum is a major tourist attraction in Nigeria. It is situated in Maiduguri, the capital of Borno State. The museum focuses on the Kanem-Borno Empire’s rich cultural legacy.

    Every year, it attracts a large number of researchers, particularly those interested in traditional ceramics, textiles, and dress, among other topics.

    The museum is believed to have a large collection of items with a solid historical background. The museum houses historic artifacts depicting the daily lives, customs, and traditions of Borno’s ethnic groupings.

    It depicts well-detailed historical kingdoms and empires with abundant evidence of Borno’s extensive history.

    THE MANDARA MOUNTAINS

    The Mandara Mountains are one of Nigeria’s most popular historic or tourist locations. It is a beautiful volcanic range that stretches for approximately 190 kilometers along the Cameroon-Nigeria border, from the Benue River to the northwest of Maroua.

    According to studies, the magnificent mountain range is home to a variety of ecosystems, such as forests, savannas, and rocky outcrops, making it a biodiversity hotspot in West Africa.

    The peak stands around 1,494 meters above sea level. It was produced millions of years ago due to volcanic activity and tectonic processes. The mountain and its surroundings are home to a variety of ethnic groups, including the Margi, Mofu, and Fulani, each with their own cultural traditions and ways of life.

    The Mandara Mountains are flanked by the Sukur Cultural Landscape, a UNESCO World Heritage Site with picturesque terraced farms and medieval settlements. It includes Rhumsiki settlement, a lovely settlement surrounded by rough mountain landscape. There are spotted primates, antelopes, and elephants, among others.

    GIDAN MAKAMA MUSEUM

    The museum is situated in the historic Kano City. It is a historical edifice from the 15th century that served as a temporary palace for the Hausa Kings before the construction of the current palace, GIDAN Funds.

    According to reports, it is a museum with a large collection of arts, crafts, and historical things. Tourists who visited reported that each museum focuses on a different part of Kano’s history, such as traditional architecture, statehood, the Civil War, economy, industry, and music.

    Any interested researcher or tourist could enjoy performances by the Koroso dance and drama troupe in the museum’s open space while exploring displays on Hausa traditional architecture and city walls. One of the major roads leading to the museum can be accessed via the Katsina route which has been declared as All-Travel Ban.

    THE KATSINA CITY WALL

    It is a popular tourist destination in Nigeria, particularly among foreigners. Some researchers or visitors who are interested in history, tradition, and extensive artifact collections visit the Katsina City Wall on a regular basis to study about or understand the past of the old Katsina people.

    The city wall was constructed approximately 900 years ago during King Murabus’ reign. It surrounds the city with seven spectacular gates: Kofar Kaura, Kofar Sauri, Kofar Marusa, Kofar Durbi, and Kofar Kwaya. Katsina is known for its rich cultural legacy, which combines Hausa and Islamic traditions.

    The city wall was composed of mud and clay. It contains seven gates, each with its own tale, meaning, and exceptions. It is indeed a treasure trove of history, culture, and architecture.

  • Gombe approves N3.2b for street lights

    Gombe approves N3.2b for street lights

    The Gombe State government on Wednesday approved N3.2 billion to run solar street lights for a period of five years.

    This, according to the State Commissioner for Works Bappah Abubakar, is a departure from the contractual agreement whereby previous administrations used N1.14 billion to service power generating set for street lights.

    Abubakar, accompanied by Commissioners for Information Alhassan Kwami, Finance Muhammad Magaji, and Environment Hussaina Goje, revealed this in a chat with reporters shortly after State Government Executive Council meeting at the Government House, Gombe.

    He frowned at a situation where some parts of Gombe metropolis do not have functional traffic lights, even as he blamed vandals who stole the batteries for it.

    “We have observed some form of vandalism on those street traffic lights have been stolen by vandals and we are trying to put them back and inaugurate them very soon,” Abubakar said.

    He said the vandals deliberately attacked some of the affected traffic lights spots to dismantle the batteries.

    “The completion date for the solar street light project is three months, beginning from when the Engineers will be handed the site and after the installation, the contractors are going to run it for five years. Within the period, there will be a warranty, and they will train our youths to who they will hand over to operate the system.

    “Prior to now, our street light system has been on the generator. The last contract was at the cost of N1.14 billion. The contract was entered into when the cost of diesel was not even as high as it is now. So, if we are to renew this contract in the next year, the cost will be twice due to the cost of electrical fittings,” he said.

    He added that the first phase will cover only 71km of the township roads, stressing that the state government considered various alternative power supply but it was comfortable with solar.

    “We have taken the street light in two lots; this is the first lot, the second lot is being processed for the contract to be awarded. The first lot covers 71km of Gombe township roads and the second will be the dual carriageway which is 42km.

    “We are in agreement with the solar project to extend this project to all local government headquarters. There is an urgent need for us to provide street light in the town. So, we are doing it as a matter of urgency.

    “We have considered other options but we feel the solar would be more effective. We have looked at other states and solar is working perfectly. We are reverting to solar now as a cheap alternative power supply but after five years, there may be another technology cheaper than the solar and we can revert to that,” he added.

  • Emir of Billiri Buba Maisheru is dead

    Emir of Billiri Buba Maisheru is dead

    Emir of Billiri, in Gombe State Dr. Abdu Buba Maisheru ll (Mai Tangale), is dead.

    This was confirmed in a tweet by former governor of Gombe State, Hassan Ibrahim Dankwambo on Monday.

    Ibrahim Dankwambo, expressed shock over the death of the monarch and condoled with the family of the deceased and Gombe people over his death.

    “My Family and I would like to extend our heartfelt condolences to the good people of Gombe over the death of His Royal Highness, Dr. Abdu Buba Maisheru ll (Mai Tangale) the Emir of Billiri.

    His death came as a rude shock, but I pray Almighty God grant his soul, eternal repose”, his Tweet read.

    In May 2020, the monarch tested positive for coronavirus but recovered 12 days after treatment.

    Reports of when and what killed him are yet to be ascertained as at time of filing this report.

  • Ex-Senator Saidu Kumo is dead

    Ex-Senator Saidu Kumo is dead

    A former Nigerian senator, Saidu Kumo, is dead.

    Mr Kumo, 71, died Sunday after a brief illness, his son, Abubakar disclosed.

    He died on Sunday at a Gwagwalada hospital in Abuja where he was receiving treatment for the undisclosed illness.

    Mr Kumo represented Gombe Central Constituency in the Senate between 1999 and 2003 on the platform of the All Peoples Party (APP) which later became the All Nigeria Peoples Party.

    He also served briefly as a special adviser to President Umaru Yar’Adua in 2008.

    Meanwhile, President Muhammadu Buhari has reacted to the death the former Senator and a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress, APC.

    Buhari described Kumo’s death as “a major loss to the APC”, adding that the deceased was the pillar of strength in Gombe State.

    Kumo defected to the ruling party in 2019 and Buhari noted that his move had energized the supporters for change.

    Buhari said this in a condolence message on Sunday, signed by his Spokeman, Garba Shehu.

    “I have received the news of the death of Senator Kumo with profound shock and sadness because his contributions to the growth of our party cannot be forgotten,” Buhari said.

    Buhari said that the history of victory of the party in 2019 cannot be complete without reckoning with the significant contributions of Kumo, who, according to him, “had brought his enormous political goodwill into our efforts to retain power.”

    President Buhari also mourned the death of Madawakin Keffi, Abubakar Senior, a distinguished civil servant and the second in command in the Keffi Emirate Council.

    He prayed to Allah to forgive the souls of Kumo and Senior, reward their good deeds with aljanna.

  • APC sweeps Gombe LG polls

    APC sweeps Gombe LG polls

    The All Progressives Congress (APC) on Saturday won all the 11 local government chairmanship and 114 ward councillors election in Gombe State.

    The Chairman of Gombe Independent Electoral Commission GOSIEC, Seidu Awak who announced the result said it was a keen contest among the political parties but the APC came victorious by sweeping all the elective office of the eleven chairmen and 114 councillors

    He said though his men had sent the election results via electronic mails, “but we cannot rely on that but on the result sheets they just presented to us here”.

    At the end, APC’s Aliyu Usman, Ibrahim Buba, Abubakar Usman and Garuba Galandima won Gombe, Kwami, Akko and Balanga local governments’ chairmanship respectively.

    Others were: Faruq Aliu as chairman for Kaltungo local government; Margaret Bitrus (Biliri),Yohanah Yahari (Shamgon) and Ibrahim Adam won the championship of Funakaije local government.

    Yelimatu Dabbi was won by Salisu Galandima and Nafada local government by Musa Abubakar respectively.

    Awak however informed all that APC candidates for councillorship cleared all the 114 wards across the 11 local governments.

  • Federal lawmaker convicted for lying finally opens up on court’s verdict

    Federal lawmaker convicted for lying finally opens up on court’s verdict

    Member of the House of Representatives, Victor Mela has debunked the report that he is in jail.

    Recall that the lawmaker representing Billiri/Balanga federal constituency in Gombe, Mela was convicted for lying under oath in the CF001 INEC form he submitted ahead of the 2019 election.

    It was also reported that the lawmaker had claimed that he did not have dual citizenship but it was discovered that he has a British passport.

    A magistrate’s court in the federal capital territory (FCT) subsequently sentenced him to one month in prison for perjury.

    Reacting to the development, Ibrahim Tal, media aide of the lawmaker said the magistrate gave him an option of a fine, which he “satisfied immediately”.

    “I had been briefed about happenings surrounding the alleged false declaration case filed against me at the instance of Hon. Ali Isa JC, who had earlier instituted 5 court cases against me since his overwhelming defeat by my humble self at the 2019 National Assembly elections,” the statement said.

    “Yesterday (Friday), the Chief Magistrates’ Court in Zone 6, Abuja finally dispensed of the matter with sentencing. I was given an option of a fine; a condition which I satisfied immediately.

    “However, I would like to draw your attention to the false and malicious publications currently circulating on the internet via some online social media platforms.

    “In the same vein, I have read with utmost dismay some misleading and misguided headlines that I was purportedly sentenced to imprisonment at a Correctional Center here in the FCT. This information is a grave misrepresentation of the sentence passed yesterday by the Court.

    “While some of the above-mentioned outfits reported that I had earlier deposed to 3 conflicting affidavits pertaining to my citizenship status and that I hold a British passport, others said that I have been imprisoned.

    “Let me clearly state here that, I do not have a British passport and neither was I imprisoned nor detained at any point in time during and after the trial.

    “These are all lies concocted and fabricated by my desperate opponent to discredit me; I urge you to totally discountenance as well as disregard any such false publication(s).

    “As at the end of working hours on Friday, Nov. 27, 2020, Certified True Copies (CTC) of the Judgement and Sentence of the Court had not been issued to anyone, I inclusive, as a result of which the source of the news circulating on some social media platforms remains inexplicable.

    “As always and even at the moment, I am free and carrying out my legislative duties for the good people my Constituency, my state, and the nation as a whole.”

  • Police arrest 21-year-old drug dealer, recover N400,000 bribe

    Police arrest 21-year-old drug dealer, recover N400,000 bribe

    The arrest of a 21-year-old suspected drug dealer identified as Babayo Yahaya has been confirmed by the Gombe state police command on Thursday.

    WITHIN NIGERIA learnt that the suspected drug dealer has been supplying illicit drugs in Gombe and its environs for the past 2 years.

    This was contained in a statement released by the police public relations officer in the state, SP Mary Obed Malum.

    The commissioner of police, CP Ahmed Maikudi Shehu disclosed that the suspect was arrested on September 14 by officers attached to the Low-Cost Divisional Police Station and the suspect was arrested based on credible information.

    The suspect was arrested in Pantami quarters of Gombe metropolis with substances suspected to be hard drugs, where ‘upon interrogation, the suspect confessed to being a dealer of such illicit substance for about 2 years with Gombe and its environs.’

    ‘Search conducted on him and his premises, lead to the recovery of 107 bunch of Tramadol Capsules, 50 sachets of Exole Tablets, N400,000 used to bribe the police.’

    Explaining that the case would soon be transferred to the State Command of the Nigeria Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) for further investigation and possible prosecution, CP Maikudi stated that the suspect claimed to be purchasing drugs from one Ebuka Chimeze of Onitsha town in Anambra state.

    The police had also arrested 3 suspected criminals said to specialise in motorcycle snatching in the state. According to Malum, who paraded the suspects before newsmen, the three suspects belong to a 6-member gang.

    She said an investigation is ongoing to arrest the three others who are the run and that they would be charged to court for the prosecution: ‘That is as they confessed to the crime,’ she told newsmen.

    One of the suspects confess to taking part in the crime they were suspected of. He said one Abubakar and other members of the gang gave him motorcycles to ride to Lafiya Lamorde in Adamawa state for sale. And that he was given N15,000 and N20,000 as a commission for two stolen motorcycles.