Dr Jamil Isiyaka Gwamna, the consensus candidate of the All Progressives Congress in Gombe State, has called for party unity ahead of 2027. He made the plea while speaking with journalists on Thursday.
Growing tensions have emerged within the party following the consensus arrangement that produced him as the flagbearer. Some members expressed their displeasure over how the selection was conducted.
"Let me use this opportunity to call on all members of our great party, the APC, those who contested and those who supported the various contestants, to close ranks and come together," he told reporters.
Gwamna stressed that cohesion remains vital to the party's electoral fortunes in the coming years. Without unity, he warned, the APC cannot secure victories across all elective positions.
According to him, the party is positioned to win at the presidential, gubernatorial, senatorial, and House of Representatives levels. State Assembly elections could also be secured if members remain united.
"I am very hopeful that we are going to achieve this. But we need unity," he added during the conversation.
The candidate attributed his emergence to divine will rather than political maneuvering. He urged dissatisfied party members to accept the outcome gracefully.
"Power belongs to Almighty Allah, and He gives it to whomever He wills, whenever He wills, and at the time He chooses," Gwamna noted. He went on to say that only one person can occupy any position at a time.
"If you contest and lose, there will always be another time," he remarked. Gwamna described this as his first attempt at the governorship position.
He believes the timing aligns with what he considers divinely ordained for his life. "This is the time He has ordained as mine," the candidate said.
Gwamna also expressed appreciation for Governor Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya's role in the process. "I am deeply grateful that this has happened through our great governor," he noted.
However, the consensus arrangement has triggered significant discontent in the state party structure. Former Minister of Communications and Digital Economy Isa Ali Ibrahim Pantami, who was also an aspirant, rejected the process entirely.
Pantami described the arrangement as a "coronation" rather than a democratic selection. He argued it violated due process and party procedures.
The former minister called on his supporters to remain calm during the situation. He urged them to pursue legal and internal party remedies to address their concerns.
Despite this pushback, Gwamna remained firm on his call for unity among party members. He insisted that party progress must take priority over individual disappointments.
