A wave of bewilderment has swept across Gombe State following the unexpected inclusion of former Governor Senator Ibrahim Hassan Dankwambo’s name on the All Progressives Congress (APC) Campaign Council list. Senator Dankwambo is not only a prominent leader of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state but is also actively contesting for the Gombe North Senatorial seat in the 2027 general elections under the PDP banner.
The list, which was published in national newspapers on Monday, clearly features Dankwambo as a member of the APC's campaign structure. This surprising development has generated considerable confusion among PDP supporters throughout the state.
The comprehensive 666-member campaign council, slated to be chaired by Governor Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya, includes several distinguished members of the APC. Among them are Senator Muhammad Danjuma Goje, Senator Usman Bayero Nafada, and Senator Saidu Ahmed Alkali. Notably, Senator Dankwambo's name appears as number seven on this extensive list and as number six on the 66-member advisory council, even positioned above some key figures within the APC in Gombe State.
This unusual inclusion is already provoking strong reactions. As a former governor and a serving political leader, Dankwambo is widely recognised as the face of the PDP in Gombe State, making his appearance on the ruling APC's campaign roster a significant point of discussion and speculation.
Daily Trust reports that Governor Yahaya is aiming to unseat Dankwambo through the platform of the APC. The inclusion has naturally led to questions about whether the senator has defected to the APC or perhaps abandoned his electoral contest to form an alliance with the state’s ruling party.
As of the time of filing this report, Senator Dankwambo has not yet issued a clarification regarding his position or the circumstances surrounding this appointment. Similarly, the APC in Gombe has also refrained from providing an explanation for the inclusion of a prominent opposition leader in its campaign council.
This development unfolds at a time when former Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Professor Isa Ali Pantami, is engaged in his own struggle to secure a place on the PDP ballot, having been excluded from the final list released by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). Our correspondent notes that Dankwambo is affiliated with the faction of the PDP led by Barrister Nyesom Wike, the Minister of FCT.