The media aide to Gombe State APC governorship candidate Dr Jamil Gwamna, Ibrahim Shawai, said on Friday that political conversations ahead of the 2027 governorship election should now turn from introducing his principal to voters and instead centre on his development plans for the state, including jobs, farming, schools and healthcare.
Gwamna is pursuing the APC ticket for the 2027 Gombe governorship race, a contest already drawing heavy online campaigning from candidates and their supporters.
Shawai’s comment follows weeks of social media activity by political camps in the state trying to build public recognition ahead of the poll. He said name recognition alone would not decide the outcome, since voters would eventually look at what candidates plan to do in office.
From introductions to policy plans
Shawai said residents casting votes in Gombe would want answers on what a Gwamna administration would actually deliver, not just familiarity with his name.
He listed employment, agriculture, education, healthcare, investment, technology and government efficiency as the issues he said would define political conversations before the election.
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“The more important conversation today is about his vision for the future. It is increasingly less about ‘Who is Jamil Gwamna?’ and more about ‘What does Jamil Gwamna intend to do for Gombe State?’” he said.
He said this change happens because Gwamna’s public profile has already been built over years of engagement with residents, meaning the campaign can now spend more of its energy explaining policy instead of building name recognition.
Shawai said online platforms are still useful for reaching voters, but stressed that turning out to vote on election day is what ultimately decides who governs.
Two decades of community ties
Shawai said Gwamna’s ties with Gombe communities did not start with the 2027 contest, noting that his political and community involvement began more than 20 years ago.
He said Gwamna, referred to by the traditional title Sardaunan Gombe, built relationships with residents long before now through his work in the corporate sector, public service, politics and charity projects.
He said these years of contact with residents throughout the state’s local government areas have shaped how people view Gwamna, separate from any current social media activity. Shawai said this history is why his campaign can now turn its efforts toward outlining plans instead of spending time on introductions.
Shawai said elections are decided by voters who show up at polling units on election day, not by likes, followers or comments online. He said online popularity should not be mistaken for the support of the electorate, saying grassroots mobilisation carries more weight than internet visibility in Nigerian elections.
“There is a fundamental truth about politics that the excitement of the social media age sometimes makes us forget: elections are not won by the loudest voices online. They are won by the people who actually go to polling units to cast their votes,” he said.
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