Ibrahim Shawai, the media aide to the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress in Gombe State, Dr Jamil Gwamna, has said the 2027 governorship election in the state would be decided at polling units and not on social media platforms.
Shawai stated this in a statement issued on Friday while highlighting what he described as Gwamna’s growing engagement with communities across the state ahead of the 2027 governorship election.
According to him, although social media has become an important tool for political communication, online popularity doesn’t necessarily translate into electoral support.
He said, “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.
“In 2027, the next governor of Gombe State will not be elected on Facebook, X, Instagram or TikTok. That decision will be made at polling units across the Local Government Areas of Gombe State by the people who live with the consequences of that choice.”
He said political visibility on social media should not be mistaken for acceptance among voters, noting that “likes are not ballots” and online followers could not replace grassroots mobilisation.
The aide said his principal’s political engagement had remained focused on Gombe and its people because they were the electorate whose mandate he was seeking.
“Politics, after all, is local. Anyone seeking to govern a people must understand their communities, aspirations, frustrations and expectations. Beyond that, the people themselves must know the person asking for their mandate,” he said.
Shawai argued that Gwamna’s relationship with the people of the state predated the 2027 political contest, saying his political and community engagements over the years had contributed to his profile in the state.
“For Jamil Gwamna, that relationship did not begin with the approach of the 2027 election. Sardaunan Gombe began his campaign more than two decades ago, long before the present political contest,” he said.
According to him, Gwamna’s years in the corporate world, public service, political engagements and philanthropic activities have helped shape his relationship with communities across the state.
He said the focus of the 2027 conversation should now shift from introducing Gwamna to voters to explaining what he intends to do if elected governor.
“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?’” Shawai said.
He added that issues such as employment, agriculture, education, healthcare, investment, technology and government efficiency should form the basis of political discussions ahead of the election.