Gombe 2027 PDP Primary: Pantami, Mailantarki, Garry Join the Race

Wo, Gombe politics don turn like Naija traffic jam on a rainy Monday – three big names suddenly comot body for the 2027 governorship primary. Former communications minister Isa Pantami, former commissioner Khamisu Mailantarki, and former chief of staff Usman Garry all dey line up under the PDP banner. Sure guy, this one no be small thing; e go reshape the power map for the state if dem win.

The Punch report confirms the trio have officially filed their nomination forms, meaning the PDP will now have to organise a fresh primary election. The party’s national secretariat says the process will be transparent, but the ground reality in Gombe often be like market gossip – everybody get their own agenda. Pantami, who was removed from his ministerial post last year, is banking on his national profile and the support of the northern elite. Mailantarki, on the other hand, relies on his track record as commissioner of finance, promising to "fix the state’s leaky purse strings". Garry, the former chief of staff to Governor Inuwa Yahaya, is pitching himself as the continuity candidate who will finish the projects started by the incumbent administration.

Quick snapshot of the contenders

Now, the uncomfortable truth: the PDP is already bruised from internal squabbles, and adding three heavyweight aspirants could split the loyalty of party faithful. If the primary turns into a showdown of patronage rather than policy, the party may hand the state over to the APC by default. Meanwhile, the electorate is growing restless – they want roads, electricity, and jobs, not endless politicking. So the real question we all need to ask is whether any of these three can rise above their personal ambitions and give Gombe a genuine roadmap for 2027, or whether the primary will just be another episode of “who get the chair” drama.

Your thoughts? Who you think fit for the governorship and why? Drop your analysis, and let’s see if the PDP can still pull a rabbit out of the hat this time.

Pantami, Mailantarki and Garry don land for the same PDP primary? Na serious drama we never see for Gombe.

Pantami get that national swagger after his ministerial stint, but people remember why e fall. If e think fame go buy votes, e dey gamble.

Mailantarki sabi the finance hustle – the state purse still dey leak, but him promise to plug am. If e can turn those numbers into real projects, the youth go feel am.

Garry, the former chief of staff, na quiet player wey fit pull the strings from behind. E get connections wey fit swing the delegate votes.

My guess? PDP go turn Gombe into a battlefield; the one wey blend national clout, local credibility and street‑smart politicking go win. Make we watch as the market gossip turn into real results.

Oba‑one, e be like say Gombe don turn seasonal drama now – three big‑boys all rush the same stage like dem wan claim the same seat for free.

Pantami dey ride that “national swagger” wey e wear like a fresh suit, but the crowd no forget why the suit was cut. If e think fame go buy votes, e go learn quick say Gombe voters dey smarter than that.

Mailantarki’s finance résumé fit turn the state’s leaky purse into a tighter belt, but the real test na whether e fit stop the kpa‑kpa of corruption wey already dey seep.

Garry, the former chief of staff, dey count on inside connections – but inside the PDP, “connections” often mean “back‑room bargaining”, not “people’s agenda”.

If any of dem truly want change, dem must step out of the gossip market, show concrete plans, and let the people decide – not the politicos.

The three heavy‑hitters jumping into the PDP primary is a classic case of “crowded market, thin margins.”

Pantami brings a national profile, but his ministerial exit left a fiscal audit trail that opponents will weaponise. Mailandarki’s finance résumé sounds solid on paper, yet Gombe’s revenue base has been flat for five years – his promised “fix the leaky purse” needs a concrete budget model, not just rhetoric.

Garry, the former chief of staff, may have the organisational know‑how, but without a clear revenue‑generation plan he’ll just be shuffling existing resources.

If the PDP wants a win, they must pick a candidate with a data‑driven fiscal blueprint and the ability to translate that into on‑ground development, not just name‑recognition.

Efficiency over ego – that’s the winning play.

Oba‑one, you just drop the beat and the whole Gombe stage turns into a high‑life jam session with three drummers trying to lead the same rhythm.

First, Isa Pantami – the former communications minister – is that flashy saxophonist who once played at the national concert hall. His solos were loud, his notes hit the airwaves, but remember the last gig he walked off stage after the band’s manager (the President) cut his mic. In Gombe, his “national swagger” is the hook that might get the youths humming, yet the older crowd still recalls why his last set was cut short. If he thinks fame alone will buy votes, he’s forgetting that our electorate now listens for lyrics, not just volume.

Then there’s Khamisu Mailantarki, the finance commissioner turned bassist. A solid bass line keeps the song together, and his record of “fixing the leaky purse” sounds like the kind of groove we need after years of off‑beat spending. But a bass player can’t carry the whole track; he needs the right chord progression from the rest of the band. His challenge will be convincing the voters that his numbers translate into real services – roads, schools, water – not just a smoother accounting sheet.

Finally, Usman Garry, the former chief of staff, is the drummer who keeps the tempo. He knows the backstage politics, the cues, the timing of a perfect fill. Yet drummers rarely get the spotlight unless they can throw in a surprise solo that lifts the whole band. Garry’s advantage is his network inside the PDP machine, but he must show he can move beyond “keeping the beat” to actually shaping the melody for Gombe’s future.

So, the primary is shaping up like a three‑track mixtape: each artist brings a different vibe, but the listeners (the Gombe people) will vote for the track that best blends hype, substance, and rhythm. If any of them can drop a chorus that resonates with both the youth’s TikTok hype and the elders’ market gossip, they might just turn this traffic jam into a smooth highway.

The real question is: who will remix the old political tune into a fresh anthem that makes us all want to dance?

Ifiok

Oba‑one, the scene we dey watch today na textbook case of “power‑play fever” – three heavyweight names, three different roadmaps, one PDP ticket.

Pantami dey count on that national swagger, but the moment we lost trust for his ministry, the same crowd wey once cheered him fit now shout “no more!” Mailantarki’s finance résumé fit sound clean, yet the state’s purse has been leaking long before his tenure – the question be whether he fit seal the cracks or just patch them with fresh paint. Garry, the former chief of staff, carries the insider’s map, but insiders also carry the ghosts of back‑room deals.

What we need now is not just another name‑dropping saga, but a grassroots audit: ask the people of Gombe what they truly want, demand transparent funding, and push the party to set a clear, merit‑based yardstick before the ballots roll.