The Gombe State Police Command has confirmed an attack on the convoy of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate, Professor Isa Ali Pantami, by suspected political thugs in the Jekadafari area of Gombe metropolis on Wednesday, November 11, 2026.
The incident occurred during the afternoon as Pantami, a former Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, entered the state capital amid a large crowd of supporters for a homecoming reception and PDP campaign rally.
Confirming the incident on Wednesday evening, the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) for the Gombe State Police Command, DSP Buhari Abdullahi, stated that while no arrests had been made yet, security operatives had been deployed to restore calm and launch a full-scale investigation.
“There is no arrest made yet, but investigation is ongoing. As you can see, there is adequate deployment of officers there. It was only when the crowd passed a particular point that the thugs began to barricade some of the remaining vehicles and attack them,” DSP Abdullahi explained.
Eyewitnesses and video footage from the scene along Jekadafari Road indicated that suspected thugs mounted bonfires and roadblocks, assaulting party supporters and damaging several vehicles trailing the main convoy. Despite the disruption, Pantami gained entry into the state capital to address party faithful and receive the PDP governorship flag.
The violence triggered immediate condemnation and counter-accusations from Nigeria’s two major political parties in the state ahead of the 2027 general elections:
In a statement issued late Wednesday night, the PDP National Publicity Secretary, Jungudo Mohammed, condemned the assault on party members and vehicles as “barbaric, undemocratic, and completely unacceptable.” Urging security agencies to apprehend the culprits, he stated, “No political ambition is worth the blood of any citizen.”
Conversely, the Gombe State APC Campaign Council leveled counter-allegations against PDP supporters, accusing them of destroying properties belonging to residents and APC members during the procession. The Deputy Director of Media for the APC Campaign Council, Dahiru Hassan Kera, called for a thorough police investigation into the unrest while urging APC supporters to remain calm and avoid reprisals.
Residents across Gombe metropolis have appealed to political leaders to rein in their supporters to preserve the state’s relative peace as campaign activities intensify ahead of the 2027 polls.
