The Director-General of Press Affairs at the Gombe State Government House, Ismail Uba Misilli, has clarified that Governor Muhammad Inuwa Yahaya has not endorsed or anointed any candidate ahead of the 2027 gubernatorial election.
Misilli said the governor remains engaged in wide-ranging consultations with stakeholders within the All Progressives Congress (APC) as part of efforts to ensure inclusiveness and party cohesion.
The clarification follows a high-level strategic meeting convened by Governor Yahaya, who is also the APC leader in the state, with governorship and National Assembly aspirants under the party’s platform.
The meeting, held at the Government House in Gombe, brought together all declared aspirants in what participants described as a proactive step toward strengthening internal unity and preparing the ground for a consensus-driven process.
Deliberations at the session focused on party discipline, inclusiveness, and strategic alignment. The governor reportedly underscored the need for members to approach the political process as a united front, emphasizing cohesion as critical to the party’s electoral success.
A key outcome of the meeting was the collective endorsement of consensus candidacy as the preferred mechanism for selecting party flag bearers. Participants noted that such an approach would enhance unity and secure broad-based support for eventual candidates.
To operationalize the consensus framework, stakeholders proposed the adoption of micro-zoning arrangements aimed at balancing competing interests and ensuring equitable representation across constituencies.
They also recommended extending similar consultations to stakeholders at the local government level to deepen grassroots participation and ownership of the process.
In a further push for inclusiveness, participants advocated a female affirmative agenda, urging the party leadership to create more opportunities for women in both the consensus process and broader political engagement.
The aspirants also cautioned against the spread of misinformation regarding alleged endorsements, stressing the importance of relying on verified communication from party leadership.
They commended Governor Yahaya’s consultative approach, describing it as transparent and instrumental in strengthening internal democracy within the party. The meeting concluded with a unanimous vote of confidence in the governor’s leadership, adopted through a standing ovation.
The latest engagement forms part of an ongoing series of consultations by the governor with party stakeholders, including ward and local government executives, elders, and other key actors across the state, aimed at consolidating unity ahead of the 2027 electoral cycle.