PDP denies Gombe leader Dankwambo is on APC campaign council list
- A list published in national papers put former Gombe governor Ibrahim Dankwambo on the APC campaign council.
- The state PDP says the list is fake and that its Gombe North senatorial candidate knows nothing about it.
- The APC has not responded to the allegation in the reports we have.
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Gombe State has denied that its state leader, Senator Ibrahim Hassan Dankwambo, is part of the All Progressives Congress (APC) campaign council for the 2027 elections.
The denial follows the publication of a list in national newspapers on Monday that named Dankwambo, a former governor of the state, as a member of the APC campaign structure.
According to the reports, Dankwambo appears at number seven on a 666-member campaign council chaired by Governor Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya. He is also listed at number six on a 66-member advisory council, ahead of some senior APC figures in the state.
The list also carries names such as Senator Muhammad Danjuma Goje, Senator Usman Bayero Nafada and Senator Sa'idu Ahmed Alkali.
Why it matters
Dankwambo is widely seen as the face of the PDP in Gombe and is running for the Gombe North senatorial seat on the party's ticket. His name on a ruling party list raised questions about whether he had defected or stepped back from the race.
The state PDP said he has done neither. In a statement signed by its publicity secretary, Abdulkadir Ahmad Dukku, the party called the list fake and said it was meant to cause confusion among members and supporters.
Dukku said Dankwambo was not aware of the development and remains a leading member of the PDP at state and national level, as well as its senatorial candidate for Gombe North.
"The list... is fake and intended to cause confusion among members and supporters of the PDP in the state," Dukku said.
The party accused the APC in the state of spreading false information ahead of the 2027 general elections, and urged its members to ignore the publication and social media images.
It also asked the APC to focus on explaining its policies to voters rather than what it called lies against other parties.
The reports did not include any response from the APC or from Dankwambo himself.
What happens next
The controversy comes as parties firm up their campaign teams ahead of the 2027 polls. In the same state, former Minister of Communications and Digital Economy Prof. Isa Ali Pantami is contesting a place on the PDP ballot after his name was left off the final list released by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
For now, Dankwambo's name remains on the APC list in print, while his party insists he is still with the PDP.
