My recent visit to Gombe for a capacity-building programme on Artificial Intelligence and strategic communication offered more than professional engagement—it provided a revealing glimpse into the state’s evolving political dynamics ahead of the next gubernatorial race.

From the airport to the city centre, one could not miss the growing visibility of Professor Ali Isa Pantami, the former Minister of Communication and Digital Economy. His images adorned commercial vehicles and strategic locations, signalling what many interpret as an early but deliberate build-up of political momentum.

I must state upfront that Pantami is a brotherly friend with whom I have shared years of a professional relationship. He listens, reflects, and applies constructive criticism—even when such engagement is not publicly acknowledged. Over time, this trait has shaped my own perspective about him, transforming me from a critic into an admirer of his policy-driven approach to governance.

This evolution informed my decision to author “Pantami: Trials and Triumphs of a Digital Economy Maestro,” a work that chronicles his reform agenda, policy battles, achievements, and controversies during his tenure in public office. His role in navigating complex institutional disputes—from multiple taxation in the telecom sector to the NIN-SIM linkage challenges and stamp duty controversies—demonstrated an uncommon capacity to manage bureaucratic tensions within Nigeria’s digital ecosystem.

Equally significant were the external pressures he confronted, including the ASUU versus IPPIS/UTAS dispute, the controversy surrounding his professorship at Federal University of Technology Owerri (FUTO), and allegations linking him to extremist narratives. These episodes tested his resilience, yet they also reinforced his ability to withstand public scrutiny.

Beyond controversies, Pantami’s legacy in expanding Nigeria’s digital infrastructure is undeniable. Institutions such as the National Centre for Artificial Intelligence and Robotics (NCAIR), the Office for Nigerian Digital Innovation (ONDI), the National Digital Innovation and Entrepreneurship Centre (NDIEC), and the Nigerian Data Protection Commission (NDPC) stand as enduring pillars of his contribution to the country’s digital transformation. These initiatives not only strengthened the country’s digital ecosystem but also created new economic opportunities.

Given this background, his entry into the gubernatorial race under the All Progressives Congress (APC) was not a surprise. What is more intriguing, however, is the intensity of reactions—both supportive and oppositional—that his ambition has generated.

During my interactions with journalists, academics, students, and even artisans in Gombe, I sought to understand the political terrain beyond social media narratives. The responses I received were candid, diverse, and, in some cases, sobering.

There are indeed forces—both within the state and at the federal level—who would prefer alternative candidates to emerge as the APC flag bearer. For some, Pantami’s perceived bluntness, independent-mindedness, and principled stances make him a difficult figure within conventional political structures. For others, it is simply a matter of competing interests and entrenched loyalties.

To move beyond speculation, I probed further: who are the likely contenders?
At the federal level, names such as Senator Sa’idu Ahmed Alkali—a two-term senator and former Minister of Transportation—feature prominently. His political network and relationship with Vice President Kashim Shettima are seen as strategic advantages. Similarly, Hon. Usman Bello Kumo, a three-term member of the House of Representatives and Chief Whip, is widely regarded as a formidable contender with strong legislative backing.

Within the state, influential figures such as the Commissioner for Finance and Economic Development, Muhammad Gambo Magaji, and the Accountant-General, Prince Aminu Umar Yuguda—both considered close allies of Governor Inuwa Yahaya—are also being mentioned in political calculations.

From the private sector, Dr. Jamilu Isyaku Gwamna, former Managing Director of the Kano Electricity Distribution Company (KEDCO), is reputed to possess strong financial backing and elite networks. Other notable figures include Architect Yunusa Yakubu of Nobel Nigeria Ltd and Engr. Aliyu Mohammed (Combat) of the Velocity Group—both successful entrepreneurs with growing political interest.

While many of these aspirants are yet to formally declare their intentions, Pantami has already taken the decisive step of publicly announcing his ambition—an indication of confidence and readiness.

The critical question, however, is not just about who is contesting, but what the electorate truly desires. Pantami arguably enjoys a unique advantage in name recognition, intellectual pedigree, and a public service track record that resonates beyond partisan lines. His blend of religious scholarship, technological expertise, and administrative experience positions him differently from traditional politicians.

Yet, politics is rarely decided by credentials alone.

There are legitimate concerns about whether his technocratic style can seamlessly translate into grassroots political leadership. There are also debates about the role of religious scholars in partisan politics—a discourse that often surfaces in Nigeria’s complex socio-political environment.

However, such arguments must be approached with balance. Nigeria has seen Christian clerics ascend to governorships. The 2023 elections were spectacular as two ordained Christian ministers — Rev. Fr. Dr. Hyacinth Iormem Alia, a Catholic priest, and Pastor Umo Eno, founder of All Nations Christian Ministry International — were sworn in as Governors of Benue and Akwa Ibom States, respectively. Many observers viewed this as a culmination of longstanding advocacy by the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) for greater Christian participation in politics.

It would therefore be inconsistent to deny an Islamic scholar the same democratic opportunity to test his competence through the ballot. Ultimately, democracy thrives on choice, not exclusion.

As observers—particularly those of us who are not direct participants in Gombe’s political process—it is neither our place to impose candidates nor to dismiss legitimate aspirations. We can advocate for a fair, transparent, and competitive process that lets the best ideas and leadership qualities emerge.

Yushau A. Shuaib, the Author of “An Encounter with the Spymaster” writes from Abuja and can be reach via yashuaib@gmail.com

The post The Gombe Succession: Who is Afraid of the Pantami Factor appeared first on Tech Digest News.

TECHDIGEST – The Centre for Information Technology and Development (CITAD), with the support of the Association for Progressive Communications (APC), organized a two-day intensive training on micro-grants for organizations in the Itas and Jama’are communities in Bauchi State.

The training, facilitated by the project team, simultaneously took place at both the Itas and Jama’are local government secretariats.

The aim of the training was to expose members of micro-organizations to the fundamentals of business models and their use in sustaining community networks. It also provided an introduction to solar installation and emphasized the importance of repeaters in strengthening the network.

Additionally, the training aimed to enhance collaboration with neighbors and other community stakeholders in the management of community networks.

The program attracted approximately 30 participants from each community, with each community bringing four different settlements to ensure inclusion in the training.

Now in its third year and final phase of implementation, the project aimed to support bridging the connectivity gap through policy advocacy, capacity building, and partnerships. Networking, solar installation and maintenance, and business models were the key areas covered during the training. Trainees engaged in practical sessions on installing and maintaining solar systems, highlighting their relevance to community networks.

Furthermore, the project team under CITAD community network Coordinator Malam Haruna Adamu Hadeija held separate meetings with stakeholders from both Jama’are and Itas, with the objective of identifying potential opportunities that could propel the process forward.

One significant outcome of these meetings was the establishment of a “five-member Community Advisory Committee.” Malam Haruna Hadejia said after the meeting

He also explained that “In addition to the community champions identified a year ago, this committee will provide concrete advice to promote the micro-organizations. They will also update and develop a management committee responsible for creating work plans and implementing initiatives for the micro-organizations.

The post CITAD, APC, Train Organizations on Accessing Micro-Grants appeared first on Tech Digest News.

By Yushau A. Shuaib

TECHDIGEST – After the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) announced the former governor of Lagos State and National Leader of the All-Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Ahmed Bola Tinubu as the Nigerian president-elect, ethnic tension and rivalry ensued between supporters of the presidential candidates.

This anxiety has been more palpable and evident in the home state of Tinubu, where his party lost the presidential election to the candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Mr Peter Obi, who is an Igbo from Anambra State.

The aftermath of the election has triggered the latent ethnic rivalries between the Yorubas – largely aborigines or relatives to natives of the space – and their Igbos neighbours – who are mostly from the South-East, in what could be considered a supremacy tussle over the political control of Lagos State.

In this fairly volatile situation, many of the Yorubas appear to want the incumbent governor, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu to be reelected as governor of the State, while a seeming majority of the Igbos are eager to replace him with the candidate of the Labour Party in Lagos, Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour, whose mother and wife are Igbos, despite his father being Yoruba.

It was in the thick of these ethnic and political tensions that the Chairman of Heirs Holdings, Tony Elumelu released a video of a visit to his house by the President-Elect, Asiwaju Tinubu in Lagos.

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In an Instagram post through which this video has been disseminated, Elumelu writes: “Last (Tuesday) night, I was honoured to receive the Nigerian President-elect at my home. We discussed ways in which the incoming administration must empower and support our immensely talented Nigerian youth. We have so much young potential to unleash.”

The business mogul, who is also the Chairman of United Bank for Africa (UBA) and the Transcorp Group, is known for flaunting his celebrity status with powerful connections. Elumelu has created a niche for himself and a strong social media presence, through which he exhibits good-natured humour and sartorial sophistication to his teeming trans-generational followers.

With his pan-African Tony Elumelu Foundation, the banker operates a business model he describes as Africapitalism, which is anchored on building a critical mass of young entrepreneurs to promote social and economic wealth, while also developing the communities in which businesses operate. Importantly, it is hinged on a humanitarian and philanthropic approach in which the general welfare is prioritised, as profits are sought and made towards doing good to humanity.

Therefore, the release of the video at a time that ethnocentric acrimonies have been brewing among two major ethnic nationalities in the country, is from all indications a deliberate communication plot.

Rather than considering the video released from an ambush marketing perspective, it is more of a publicity stunt that has elements of public relations (PR) messaging about the mutual relationship between entrepreneurs in business and politicians in government.

The relationship between the people in business and those governments can be understood through a classic distinction between the politics of support and the politics of power. While the politics of support is concerned with rallying to secure an electoral majority that leads to winning and which can be funded by people in business, the politics of power relates to implementing programmes that can ultimately benefit the people in business.

The video is very clear and considerate of the current mood in the nation, about the aftermath of the presidential election. It starts with Elumelu welcoming Tinubu to his home and referring to him as: “This man with 10 lives. The Last man standing and strong man.” Tinubu quickly and jokingly replies by saying: “I am still standing.”

The banker then turns to his left, where Seyi, Tinubu’s son, is and jokes that that the younger fellow is wearing the same kind of dress as his father. He then adds: “Seyi you must be very proud of your father as he is proud of you. You are a good man, Seyi.”

While exchanging pleasantries in the sitting room, Elumelu introduces Ifeyinwa Ugochukwu to Tinubu: “This is the CEO of Tony Elumelu Foundation. She is in charge of the Foundation. So, if you need a young female Minister to come and change the women focus, I can loan her to you….”

Critics who attack Elumelu for hosting the President-Elect fail to realise that Elumelu is not an Igbo from the South-East but one from the South-South state of Delta. An average Delta Igbo is likely to be found and excelling in the public service, academia or in the business world, rather than in partisan politics. The likes of Mrs Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Jim Ovia, Louis Edozie, and Godwin Emefiele, among others, from Delta State would rather mind their businesses than engage in partisan politics, although as in most situations, there will always be a few exceptions.

As mentioned earlier, it is not difficult to see that the video is deliberate and designed to achieve some strategic purpose on the delicate relationship between politics and business. Rather than an ambush marketing communication tool, whereby a promoter “capitalises” on an event to position for maximum exposure, while gaining advantage over his or her competitors, the video is essentially a publicity stunt designed to attract the public’s attention to the salient message of the sponsor or promoter.

The video deflects the attention of citizens from the nascent ethnic acrimony in the country and reinforces the fact that serious business people and politicians are not concerned about ethnic chauvinism and religious bigotry. Profiting making and service to humanity are their major priorities.

The video may possibly reawaken warring parties to the fact that after the election, life must go on, and we might as well not destroy relationships necessary for our progress due to surges of emotional connection with identity, as this past presidential election seems to have provoked in many.

More importantly, we all need to focus more on establishing and sustaining relationships built on trust, confidence and harmony towards a better, peaceful and prosperous society.

Meanwhile, some of the takeaways from the video is the fact that Tinubu is truly a Lagos City Boy who is simple, connected to his various constituencies and pragmatic, as evident in his paying a personal visit to worthy allies, despite what some might think are the sectional sentiments or ethnic and religious backgrounds of his host.

It also signifies Tinubu’s inclination to partner with those who can add concrete values towards his lofty aspiration of youth empowerment, considering the records of the Elumelu Foundation in this regard. It buttresses the fact that Tinubu’s allies are across Nigeria and in every sector, as major players who have supported his campaign, both morally and financially.

The Tinubu-Elumelu video has succeeded in its publicity endeavour by staging a newsworthy event that has attracted public attention. By staging the event in his house, the promoter (Elumelu) has also successfully exercised firm control over what the media could report.

In a nutshell, as a PR practitioner, I can say that the Elumelu’s video has curated the major elements of effective publicity exploits, including having great news value, coupled with video and sound bite opportunities choroegraphed primarily for media exposure. In addition, it has gained prominence, and human interest to embody the features of effective public relations, which include reputation management, media (control) management and possibly crisis management, in the very subtle way it explores the soft power of relationships to de-fuse ongoing political situations.

I can see Tinubu hitting the ground running after May 29.

Yushau A. Shuaib is the author of Award-Winning Crisis Communication Strategies_ and An Encounter with the Spymaster www.YAShuaib.com

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TECHDIGEST – Governor Badaru Abubakar of Jigawa State, and presidential aspirant under the platform  All Progressive Congress (APC), , has advocated APC Ambassadors for Good Governance to engage grassroots in propagating achievements of the party across the 774 Local Governments in the country.

Governor Badaru, who was represented by Director General, National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Kashifu Inuwa CCIE, made the appeal at APC Ambassadors for Good Governance unveiling of an Appraisal Hub on Good Governance and Official Inauguration of 36 State Chapter Coordinators of the organization which took place in Abuja.

The governor stated that APC as party, has achieved a lot in the last seven years, and what left for its ambassadors is to amplify the achievements recorded under President Muhammadu Buhari, GCFR, adding that “as Ambassadors for Good Governance, you have a huge role to play in mobilizing voters for our great party during upcoming elections.”

While attributing good governance to APC, the governor noted that the ruling party is known to have mastered the art of consensus, and youth participation in politics, according to him, that credits can never be taken away from the ruling party.

He said President Buhari set a record by signing Disability Bill, a bill that was hanging for about two decades without Presidential assent. But by signing the bill, it allows people living with disabilities to participate on various national issues.

“We all know how this administration gave a special consideration for women, men and youth, and the party follows rule of law. In the history of this country, there were never a government that follows rule of law like that of President Buhari,” he said.

He added that, APC is effective and efficient in project delivery, and initiatives that touch the lives of Nigerian citizens.

“We have so many developmental programmes like Social Investment, first of its kind in the history of this country. We have youth centric and many other programmes that help Nigeria diversify its economy.

President Buhari initiated the Home-Grown Feeding Programme which is designed to put an end to importation and market monopoly of farm produce that can be grown here in Nigeria, which was a pilot vehicle to sustainable economic, agricultural, academic and job creation across the length and breadth of the nation.

The Buhari administration followed steps to improve the standards of Nigeria’s agricultural exports to align with global standards due to the rejection of our produce at the EU Border Controls.

The Anchor Borrowers Programme (ABP) of the Central Bank of Nigeria under the Buhari-led administration has made available billions of naira to farmers of rice, wheat, maize, cotton, cassava, poultry, soy beans and groundnut.

President Buhari-led administration set up the Presidential Fertilizer Initiative (PFI) to deliver commercially significant quantities of affordable and high-quality fertilizer to the Nigerian farmers at the right time

“Before we came to power, Nigeria’s economy was oil dependent but today, oil contributes less than 8% of our Gross Domestic Product (GDP). This shows how this government is effective and efficient in economy diversification.

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Speaking further on accountability, Governor Badaru said no government in the history of Nigeria will match APC administration. Noting that President Muhammadu Buhari holds everyone accountable and gives autonomy to all political appointees to discharge their responsibilities in accordance with the rule of law.

“We have never had a transparent government like this APC administration. It is under APC we have IPPIS and Treasury Single Account (TSA) working. This is what makes government more accountable and transparent. Every kobo this government spent can be tracked. Today, you can’t take government money just like that, the way it was happening before; where government officials transfer money without accounting for it,” he added.

He said the APC has done quite a lot in terms of infrastructure and social development, and politically, the President Buhari has had 12 million votes in the last election, and he will not be on the ballot in next election, so it is the responsibilities of APC Ambassadors to go back to their states, mobilize people, showcase to them the achievements of APC.

“Our selling points should be our visible achievements. Nigerians should be abreast about the good work we have done, and what we will do in future. Of all the policies we had, it is time to assimilate what we have achieved and pass them on to Nigerians.

“Gathering like this would be the beginning to show Nigerians what good governance is, and this will create a sense of urgency. As Ambassadors, you have to go back to your locality and sell the good governance of this great party.

“You formed a coalition and inaugurated state chapter coordinators, you have a mission and vision you are going to sell which is Good Governance, sell it to Nigerians. Take it to every ward across the 774 Local Government Areas we have in the country,” he stated.

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TECHDIGEST – With no fewer than 3,471 likes, 783 retweets and 607 comments on his Twitter space, where he shared photos from his recent presidential declaration in Abuja under the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Nigeria’s former Vice President Abubakar Atiku is ahead many other contenders in the 2023 Presidential race, at least online.

Atiku’s Facebook page elicited over 2, 000 reactions in the ‘Comment Section’ and more than 3,000 shares.

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Former Governor of Lagos state and National leader of the All Progressives Party (APC), Bola Tinubu, received above 208 retweets and 647 likes for his Presidential bid on his Twitter handle.

But here’s the killer score! Peter Obi, former Governor of Anambra state, also of the PDP, has lapped up 41, 000 retweets and 108,000 likes on Twitter since declaring his intention to run for the highest political office in Nigeria. There are over 27, 000 reactions on his ‘Comment Section’ and 3,000 shares following a post on this in his Facebook page.

Others are still not so feasible online. They include Governor of Nyesom Wike (PDP) of Rivers state and Governor David Umahi (APC) of Ebonyi state.

Current Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, even though has not made an official declaration to run for the office under the APC, has an active online community making numerous retweets, and reshares across several social media handles to make him extremely visible online.

Read more : ITedgenews

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TECHDIGEST – Gov. Nasir El Rufai of Kaduna State, says electronic voting is possible in Nigeria, with the right determination.

According to him, the success recorded in the last Local Government election conducted via electronic voting in the state was a demonstration that it was possible across the country.

The governor made the statement in a statewide broadcast on Wednesday to thank the people of the state for giving the All Progressive Congress (APC), victory at the polls.

He welcomed the election as a unifying moment, describing the results from Kaduna South Senatorial District in particular, as significant in advancing political consensus in the state and overcoming divisions.

According to him, his administration had placed the credibility and integrity of the electoral process above the discredited practice of previous governments of winner takes all.

He commended the electorates for showing, for the second time, that there was no obstacle to the successful adoption of electronic voting technology in Nigeria.

El-Rufai recalled that voters in the state, first made history on May 12, 2018, when they cast their ballots on electronic voting machines to elect chairmen and councillors for the 23 local government councils in the state.

He also explained that the election had placed Kaduna State as the first in Nigeria to use electronic voting and the first subnational in Africa to do so.

According to him, it also positioned Nigeria as the second country in Africa after Namibia to use the technology.

“The local government elections of 4th September 2021 further validated the Kaduna State Government’s decision to invest in Electronic Voting Machines to promote electoral integrity and transparency.

“Kaduna state is proudly upholding a new chapter in elections in Nigeria, using electronic voting technology, championed by a government that is determined to respect the outcome, win or lose,’’ he posited.

“As governor of Kaduna state, I have always taken the view that we all win when democracy triumphs.’’

He congratulated all the winners in the local government elections and challenged them to use their period in office to serve the people, uphold democratic tenets and promote peace in the state.

The governor expressed gratitude to the people for the support they gave APC candidates during the elections.

“Our people again demonstrated with their votes that they recognised our efforts to empower them, to educate their children properly, to secure better healthcare for them and to return their priorities to the heart of government,’’ he pointed out.

El-Rufai further said he was particularly pleased that his administration’s determined efforts to promote democracy are helping to further unite the state.

“We welcome the results in the Kaduna South Senatorial District, as a significant step in advancing political consensus in our state and overcoming division.

“We are most grateful to the people of the Kaduna South Senatorial District whose votes have helped expand the APC’s footprint in the area.

“The voters have given the APC victory in four of the seven local government where elections were conducted in Southern Kaduna,’’ he noted.

According to him, the APC had won in Jema’a and Kauru local government councils, in addition to retaining Sanga and Kagarko which it won in 2018.

“The unprecedented victory in Jema’a augurs well for advancing unity and commitment to common endeavours in the interest of unity, peace and progress in our state.

“It is an embrace that we do not take for granted. We accept it as a moment for opening new vistas, extending bridges and saying farewell to needless divisions,’’ he said.

According to him, ‘’this emphatic statement at the ballot box has shattered the unhelpful myth that any part of our state is an impregnable stronghold of any party.

“It has removed the baseless stereotyping of certain parties as ethnic bastions and religious vehicles.

“I call on all leaders and citizens in our state to cherish this moment and make it the beginning of an enduring rapprochement.’’ (NAN)

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TECHDIGEST – Governor Nasiru El-Rufai of Kaduna state has affirmed faith in electronic voting (eVoting) as the state, for the second time, deployed Electronic Voting Machines (EVM) to conduct its local government election that held over the weekend (Saturday).

The state pioneered the use of EVM in Nigeria in 2018 for the same local government election to set a precedence on the continent only after Kenya. At the national level, there is still a debate in Nigeria over the workability of eVoting.

Government needs to allay fears about electronic voting. Electronic and physical processes can run side by side as there is no complete guaranty against hacking, the governor told Channel TV today as guest of its Sunrise programme.

He said the use of technology in election cannot be downplayed and remains critical to promoting election integrity and boosting voter’s confidence.

“People are just concerned about transmission of results which is just one aspect,” said the governor while insisting that it was impossible to alter the election results across all critical components of eVoting.

In 2018, the state reworked its electoral laws, Kaduna State Independent Electoral Commission Law No. 10 of 2012 and other Matters Ancillary into the Kaduna State Independent Electoral Commission Law, 2018 to allow for electronic voting in the state.

Under Section 16 (3) of the state law, “the State Independent Electoral Commission shall have the power to determine the method by which voters may be verified and accredited for the purpose of casting their votes.”

It states that: “Such verification and voting shall be through the use of approved electronic devices, smart card reader and electronic voting machine.”

The election results for the 19 local governments are still coming in. But so far, the All-Progressives Congress (APC) has won in 15 local governments while the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) has won in only one.

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