The former Governor of Plateau State Sen Jonah David Jang has endorsed the Governorship candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Barr Caleb Mutfwang, for the 2023 Governorship election and said his administration will give Plateau the required leadership.
He noted that no presidential candidate of the PDP has ever lost an election in Plateau since 1999 and urged the people to remain committed to PDP as it is the platform that will salvage the state from the current insecurity and economic downturn.
Jang disclosed this on Tuesday during the flag-off of the Atiku/Mutfwang PDP zonal campaign rally for Plateau South, held at the Shendam Mini Stadium, Shendam Local Government Area of the state.
“We are glad that PDP has presented a competent and credible Governorship candidate, Barr Caleb Mutfwang and his Deputy, Ngo Josephine Piyo. I am presenting them to you and all other PDP candidates for the February and March 2023 general elections.
“Plateau people made a mistake in 2015 and we are regretting it because of the hardship, poverty and the government has no legacy to its name. But I am certain that Mutfwang will not disappoint you.
“APC is not a party for Plateau people, we are known with PDP and no presidential candidate of the party has ever lost an election since the return of democracy in 1999, we will do what we are known for.” He stated.
Jang, who knelt down and prayed for the success of all PDP candidates said Plateau has not enjoyed the dividends of democracy under the APC administration and urged the people to reject the party in the next election.
The governorship candidate, Barr Caleb Mutfwang, urged the Plateau people to reject APC in 2023 for inflicting pain, hardship, and poverty on the people.
“If we do not kill APC, APC will kill democracy and if we kill APC in 2023, democracy will survive. We are tired of deceit, bad governance, insecurity, and poverty; go and collect your PVCs and vote for PDP candidates from top to bottom.”
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has omitted former Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Isa Pantami, from its final list of governorship candidates for Gombe State ahead of the February 6, 2027 election.
Politics Nigeria reports that the commission released a list of 16 cleared candidates for the election, but Pantami’s name was missing despite his earlier inclusion in the provisional list published on August 29.
Among the candidates on the final list are Bala Bello Tinka of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Jamilu Isyaku Gwamna of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and Babayo Ardo Kumo of the Nigerian Democratic Congress (NDC).
Others include Zubairu Mu’azu Halilu of the Labour Party (LP), Lamela L. Silas of the Allied Peoples Movement (APM), Ibrahim Jalo Abubakar of the Peoples Redemption Party (PRP) and Adamu Mohammed Ma’aji of the Social Democratic Party (SDP).
Pantami’s exclusion comes amid a series of legal disputes over his emergence as the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate in the state.
The former minister had initially sought the APC governorship ticket but left the party after it settled for Gwamna as its consensus candidate. He subsequently joined the PDP and emerged as the party’s flag bearer through voice affirmation at its governorship primary.
However, a Federal High Court sitting in Gombe nullified his initial emergence on May 26, following a challenge to the primary process.
The court ordered a fresh primary election, which Pantami won on September 29 with 2,054 votes, defeating Khamisu Ahmed Mailantarki and Usman Aliyu Garry.
Garry had challenged Pantami’s emergence, arguing that the required primary election was not properly conducted before the former minister was declared the party’s candidate.
Despite winning the court-ordered rerun, Pantami’s eligibility remained in doubt following the Supreme Court’s September 24, 2026 judgment on provisions of the Electoral Act 2026 governing political party membership registers and candidate eligibility.
The Supreme Court affirmed the constitutionality of Sections 77(5), 77(6) and 77(7) of the Electoral Act 2026 and upheld INEC’s revised timetable and schedule of activities for the 2027 elections.
The provisions bar political parties from fielding candidates whose names were not included in the membership registers submitted to INEC within the stipulated period.
INEC has maintained that parties found to have violated the requirements will not be permitted to participate in the elections through candidates whose nominations breach the law.
Mohammed Haruna, an INEC national commissioner in charge of information and voter education, said the commission would not allow parties to replace candidates affected by the provisions.
Haruna made the clarification during an appearance on Trust TV’s programme on Wednesday evening, explaining that allowing substitutions would enable political parties to benefit from their own violations.
INEC Chairman, Professor Joash Ojo Amupitan
He cited previous disputes involving Zamfara and Plateau states to illustrate the consequences of parties failing to comply with electoral requirements.
“It’s like you committed an offence. And then, you come and benefit from it,” Haruna said.
He added that allowing parties to substitute candidates in such circumstances would amount to permitting them to benefit from an offence they had committed.
Haruna also indicated that the commission expected to make a definite pronouncement on the implications of the Supreme Court judgment by the following Tuesday.