A coalition of stakeholders from opposition political parties in Gombe State has defected to the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, declaring support for President Bola Tinubu’s re-election bid and the governorship aspiration of Dr Jamil Isyaku Gwamna ahead of the 2027 elections.

The coalition comprises members of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, African Democratic Congress, ADC, and Labour Party, LP, who said their decision followed a review of the outcomes of their respective parties’ primary elections.

Speaking on behalf of the group, Prof. Sulaiman Dankande, Nura Abba, Abdullah Amtai, Dedan Mela and Murtala Usman Dukku said they had resolved to align with the APC and support Gwamna’s governorship ambition.

The coalition members were formally received into the APC by the party chairman in Gombe Local Government Area, Idris Saleh, who presented them with membership cards.

Meanwhile, former National Youth Leader of the APC, Sadiq Abubakar, has emerged as the governorship candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress, NDC, in Gombe State.

Abubakar disclosed this shortly after emerging victorious in the party’s governorship primary election.

His emergence comes weeks after he resigned from the APC, citing economic challenges and dissatisfaction with the policies of the ruling party.

He said his decision to join the NDC was informed by his desire to participate in a political platform that guarantees transparent and credible primary elections.

Abubakar added that the move would provide him with an opportunity to pursue his political aspirations and serve the people of Gombe State.

The camp of the African Democratic Congress, ADC, governorship candidate in Zamfara State, Mahdi Aliyu Muhammad, has denied reports circulating on social media claiming that he has withdrawn from the 2027 governorship election.

In a statement issued by his press secretary, Salisu Mohammed Mada, the campaign group described the report as false and misleading, alleging that it was aimed at creating confusion among party members and the public.

The statement maintained that Muhammad remains the duly elected governorship candidate of the ADC in Zamfara State, having emerged victorious in the party’s primary election.

According to the campaign, the candidate has neither withdrawn from the race nor authorised any individual or group to announce such a decision on his behalf.

It urged party supporters, stakeholders, the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, security agencies and the general public to disregard the report.

The campaign also condemned the spread of what it described as misinformation, warning against actions capable of causing unnecessary political tension and undermining democratic processes.

It reaffirmed Muhammad’s commitment to contesting the 2027 governorship election and pursuing his agenda for the development of Zamfara State.

Former Minister of Culture, Tourism and National Orientation, Edem Duke, has dismissed suggestions that former President Goodluck Jonathan could be drawn into active partisan politics ahead of the 2027 general election, describing such moves as misguided.

Speaking on Prime Time on Arise Television on Wednesday, Duke said Jonathan’s tenure as president remains one of the defining periods in Nigeria’s democratic history and argued that the former leader’s stature as a statesman should not be subjected to political calculations.

He expressed concern over reports linking Jonathan to a possible return to frontline politics, saying individuals promoting the idea were attempting to use the former president’s reputation and integrity for political purposes.

According to Duke, Jonathan has built a strong legacy both within Nigeria and across Africa, adding that his influence as a statesman extends beyond electoral politics.

The former minister stated that Jonathan understands the implications of the political discussions surrounding his name and is unlikely to risk his standing by pursuing another presidential ambition.

He said: “The news of the possibility of the distinguished President Goodluck ability to return to active politics is one that I take with a lot of trepidation because this is an iconic personality whose tenor as a president redefined some of the very best aspects of Nigeria.

“How then do you think that after having acquired the experience of being one of Nigeria’s most cerebral presidents, one who  has achieved such a grand level and achievement across the continent, would now be dragged into what I see as a political lottery by people who should actually work harder to ensure that he can sustain and expand the perimeters of his influence as a statesman, not just to Nigeria, Africa, but globally.

“I think it is unfortunate that people who have not yet been able to put their house in order are now assuming that they can trade the integrity and the overwhelming personality and image of a former President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan as perhaps a pawn on the political dashboard.

“This is where I have my trepidations, and I believe that President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan has his senses and his head firmly fixed, and he understands that a number of these issues that are being raised around him.

“I do know that what he stands to gain as a former president is far beyond risking another four years of aspiration.”