From Khalid Idris, Bauchi
The governorship candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) in Gombe State, Sadiq Abubakar, has challenged governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and former minister of communications and digital economy, Prof. Isa Ali Pantami, to a public political debate ahead of the 2027 governorship election.
Abubakar made the challenge in a statement made available to journalists in Bauchi on Wednesday, saying the proposed debate would provide an opportunity for the two politicians to present their ideas, policies and vision for the development of Gombe State.
He said the engagement would enable the people of the state to assess the candidates’ understanding of governance and their policy priorities rather than relying solely on campaign rhetoric.
According to him, the debate would also allow the people of Gombe to hear directly from the contestants on issues affecting their communities and the measures they intend to adopt if elected.
Abubakar said political debates remained an important component of democratic engagement as they provided candidates with an opportunity to address issues of public interest while enabling voters to examine their respective programmes and proposed solutions.
He therefore called on Pantami to accept the challenge and participate in a debate focused on the development and welfare of the people of Gombe State.
The NDC candidate said the proposed engagement should be centred on issues including governance, economic development, education, healthcare, security and employment.
He added that the debate should rise above personal and partisan interests and place the future of Gombe State at the centre of political discourse.
Abubakar, a former National Youth Leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), defected to the NDC in 2026 and subsequently emerged as the party’s governorship candidate for the 2027 election in Gombe State.
