A former Speaker of the Gombe State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Sadik Ibrahim Kurba, has said that retired Deputy Commissioner of Police,
Mohammed Ahmadu, popularly known as Jarman Deba, remains the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) for the Gombe Central Senatorial District ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Kurba stated this while responding to controversies surrounding the outcome of the party’s senatorial primary election in the district.
According to him, the process that produced Jarman Deba as the APC candidate complied with the party’s guidelines and was recognised by the party leadership.
He explained that the APC had initially embarked on consultations aimed at producing consensus candidates for various elective positions in the state.
While some aspirants for the Gombe Central senatorial ticket reportedly endorsed Jarman Deba during the consultations, Senator Danjuma Goje declined the consensus arrangement and opted to contest in a direct primary election.
Kurba said a direct primary election was subsequently conducted across the senatorial district, allowing eligible party members to participate in the exercise.
He stated that Jarman Deba emerged winner of the primary election and that the result was announced by a committee constituted by the APC National Secretariat to oversee the exercise.
The former Speaker maintained that the outcome of the direct primary election remains the basis for Jarman Deba’s emergence as the party’s candidate.
He also highlighted the retired police officer’s record in public service, noting that he served in different capacities during his career in the Nigeria Police Force and participated in various security operations across the country.
Kurba further called for issue-based political campaigns, saying the focus should remain on candidates’ records, contributions and plans for the future rather than personal attacks.
He added that Jarman Deba remains committed to addressing issues relating to development, youth empowerment, education and the welfare of constituents in Gombe Central.
