MUSLIM RIGHTS
CONCERN (MURIC)
هيئة حقوق المسلمين
Motto: Dialogue,
Not Violence
7th May, 2026
PRESS RELEASE:
CANCEL GOMBE KANGAROO CONSENSUS
- MURIC
A human rights group, the Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC), has
described the consensus exercise in the search for governorship candidate of
the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Gombe State which excluded Professor Isa
Ali Ibrahim Pantami as a kangaroo consensus and an exercise in futility.
In a press release issued on Thursday, 7th May, 2026 by the
Executive Director of the organization, MURIC advised Gombe APC to buy into the
former minister's long-time membership and leverage on his unshaken loyalty by
supporting his gubernatorial candidature.
The statement reads:
"Reports indicate that Gombe State All Progressives Congress
(APC) organised a lopsided 'consensus' arrangement in the absence of, and
without the knowledge of, at least one of the major contending candidates,
Professor Isa Ali Ibrahim Pantami.
"This is unfair, parochial, undemocratic and therefore
unacceptable. A level playing field must be provided for all interested
candidates in the name of fairness, justice and equity. Anything short of this
is a kangaroo arrangement and an exercise in futility.
"MURIC demands the annulment of the consensus
arrangement which was clandestinely, hurriedly and illegally put together on
Sunday, 3rd April 2026 for several reasons.
"Firstly, political scientists agree that democracy must be
participatory. But this principle was jettisoned in the Sunday exercise because
not all the candidates were involved. Section 84 (2): of the Nigeria Electoral
Act 2026 outlines the modes of nomination. It made it unequivocally clear that
there can be no valid consensus without involving the aspirants who have
obtained or completed their expression of interest and nomination forms.
"Secondly, the incumbent, Governor Muhammadu Inuwa
Yahaya who is concluding his eight-year tenure, hails from the same Jekadafari
Ward where the 'consensus' candidate comes from. This is an anomaly. No
political party keen on unity and victory will commit such political harakiri.
We must beware of protest votes from other wards, local government areas and
senatorial zones in the same Gombe State.
"Thirdly, unlike Professor Pantami who has an indomitable
pedigree in the party, the candidate who was picked on Sunday has been
virtually in all political parties in Gombe State. Why pick a perrenial
ship-jumper? When did he join the party? His choice throws questions around
APC's reward system.
"In the fourth place, conducting a concensus exercise within
the party without regard for the candidature of Professor Pantami or any other
candidate and their rights to vote and be voted for constitutes a blatant
abridgement of the latter's Allah-given and fundamental human right as
stipulated in Sections 77(2) and 117(2) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal
Republic of Nigeria (as amended).
"A fifth raison d'etre can be found in a major rule of the
game. Arrival at a consensus candidate can only be valid if all cleared
aspirants provide written consent to step down. If even one aspirant refuses,
the party must revert to a direct primary. There is no evidence that this was
done. The Gombe consensus has therefore violated due process as well as the
Nigeria Electoral Act 2026.
"It is well known that Pantami has the crowd. Even
the large followership in the Pantamiya movement alone is enough to score a
landslide victory. With a professor in the saddle, Gombe State is on the verge
of becoming the leading light in the education sector in Northern Nigeria.
"We advise Gombe APC to buy into the former minister's
long-time membership and leverage on his unshaken loyalty by supporting his
gubernatorial candidature.
"Finally, we
appeal to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to call Gombe state executive arm of the
APC to order. We call for the cancellation of the Gombe concensus exercise. We
demand respect for due process and the rule of law."
#APCGombe
#KangarooConcensus
#Pantami
#RightToBeVotedFor
Professor Ishaq
Akintola,
Founder/Executive
Director,
Muslim Rights
Concern (MURIC).





