WHY BARR. I.Y. MELAH SHOULD BE PROF ISA PANTAMI’S RUNNING MATE IN 2027

A Cry from the Heart of Gombe South

Your Excellency, Prof. Ali Isa Pantami,
We salute you not because you carry a title, but because for a moment, you made us believe again. In a land weary of recycled promises and exhausted by leaders who speak only to be heard, not to heal, your emergence has landed like rain after drought.

We felt it in the marketplace, in the classrooms, in the quiet prayers of mothers who still hope their children will see a Gombe that works.

But now, Your Excellency, you stand at a crossroads that will define not just your ticket, but your soul as a leader. The question is no longer who will stand beside you it is what your choice will say about the man you truly are.
A running mate is not a footnote. He is a mirror.

The Deputy Governor is not a ceremonial ornament. He is the second heartbeat of an administration. He is the first hint of your judgment, the first proof of your courage, the first measure of whether your leadership will be transactional or transformational.

Choose a man who merely balances a ticket, and you send a message: I am playing politics. Choose a man who balances your vision, and you send a message: I am building a legacy.

Barr. I.Y. Melah is not a name to fill a space. He is a force to fill a gap. He is not loud. He is deep.

In a generation addicted to noise, Barr. Melah chose substance. He did not climb on the backs of the powerful; he lifted those who had no back to climb. For years, he has moved through Gombe South not as a politician seeking applause, but as a lawyer seeking justice, a mentor seeking minds, and a servant seeking no reward but the quiet dignity of a job well done.

His reputation is not written in press releases. It is etched in the gratitude of young men he guided, in the faith of widows he defended, in the trust of communities he never betrayed. When every other voice was shouting, his was building.

When others chased titles, he chased truth.
This is not a man who will outshine you he is a man who will complement you. Not a rival, but a reinforcement. Not a shadow, but a second light. He is the bridge your vision needs.

Your Excellency, you carry the weight of experience. He carries the pulse of a generation. You bring the wisdom of years; he brings the urgency of now. Together, you would not just govern you would connect. Between the elder and the youth. Between the north and south of our state. Between the institution and the individual. Between the dream and the delivery.

In a Gombe fractured by suspicion and hungry for unity, Barr. Melah has proven again and again that he is not a divider of men but a mender of broken fences. He speaks not in the language of tribe or creed, but in the dialect of dignity. And that, Your Excellency, is the language the people are starving to hear.

This is not about arithmetic. This is about anointing.
Political strategists will give you numbers. Pollsters will give you percentages. But the people the tired, the hopeful, the forgotten they are asking for something the spreadsheets cannot calculate: Does this man feel like us? Does he carry our ache in his chest? Does he see our children as his own? Barr. Melah does.

He is not a career politician. He is a career public servant. He has bled quietly for Gombe South when it cost him more than it paid him. He has stayed when others switched. He has served when others strutted. And in doing so, he has become not just a lawyer, not just a leader but a symbol that integrity still exists where we had stopped looking for it.

Choose him, and you choose more than a running mate.
You choose to tell every young person in Gombe that their dreams are not foolish.
You choose to tell every woman that her voice matters.
You choose to tell every community that they will not be left behind.
You choose to tell history that you were not afraid to surround yourself with greatness.

The Pantami-Melah ticket would not just be a political alliance it would be a covenant with the future. It would be a declaration that Gombe is ready to move from survival to significance. From enduring leaders to enjoying leadership.

Your Excellency, history does not remember those who played it safe. It remembers those who, when the moment came, had the audacity to choose better over easier. This is that moment.

Do not choose a running mate. Choose a partner. Choose a conscience. Choose a reflection of the Gombe you promised us. Choose Barr. I.Y. Melah.And let this state know finally that leadership is not a throne, but a trust. That power is not a prize, but a promise. That you, Prof. Ali Isa Pantami, are not just a candidate you are a turning point.

With trembling hope and stubborn faith,
The Concerned Youth of Gombe South

WHY BARR. I.Y. MELAH SHOULD BE PROF ISA PANTAMI’S RUNNING MATE IN 2027

Yobe Executive Council Approves N73.3bn for Agriculture, Roads, Housing, Markets, Empowerment

By: Michael Mike

The Yobe State Executive Council has approved and ratified projects and services worth N73.32 billion as part of efforts to accelerate socio-economic development and improve living conditions across the state.

The decisions were reached at the Council’s meeting held on Thursday, July 16, 2026, at the Council Chamber of the Government House, Damaturu, under the chairmanship of Governor Mai Mala Buni.

Briefing journalists after the meeting, the Commissioner for Home Affairs, Information and Culture, Abdullahi Bego, said the approvals were in line with the administration’s commitment to service delivery and the socio-economic development agenda of the state.

The largest allocation, N28.53 billion, was approved for the procurement of agricultural tools and implements for the 2026 Mega Agricultural Empowerment Programme. The programme builds on similar interventions implemented by the state government in 2024 and 2025.

The Council also ratified N23.97 billion for two major road projects, comprising N21.90 billion for the rehabilitation and asphalt overlay of the 45-kilometre Kalallawa-Kaliyari Road linking Damaturu and Tarmuwa Local Government Areas, and N2.07 billion for the construction of the seven-kilometre Damagum-Gubana Road.

The construction of the Damagum-Gubana road, the commissioner said, would complete a 17-kilometre road connection to Gubana town from Damagum.

In the area of urban infrastructure and commerce, the Council approved N4.94 billion for the construction of the Buni-Yadi Modern Motor Park and Grains Market, while N5.69 billion was approved for external facilities and augmentation of the perimeter fence at the Damaturu Modern Motor Park, which is nearing completion.

Another N3.95 billion was approved for the construction of a new shopping mall and mini-market in Buni-Gari, Gujba Local Government Area, while N726.09 million was approved for upgrades to the ongoing Damaturu Mega Shopping Mall project.

The Council also approved N616.61 million for the upgrading, remodelling, landscaping and installation of safety barriers at four major roundabouts in Damaturu metropolis.

In the housing sector, the Council ratified N2.25 billion for the purchase of 208 housing units from the Federal Ministry of Housing and Urban Development, alongside N1.18 billion for the construction of an office complex and headquarters for the Ministry of Housing.

It also approved N652.63 million for the acquisition of Fanzar Mixed Farms Ltd.

As part of efforts to support women and small businesses, the Council approved N460.83 million for the procurement of beans for distribution to female small business owners across the state.

The beans will be distributed alongside cooking oil, smokeless stoves, cooking utensils and kitchenware already procured and stored by the Ministry of Wealth Creation, Empowerment and Employment Generation. A total of 1,780 bags of 50kg beans are expected to be distributed to beneficiaries.

The Council further approved N364.48 million for the procurement of 1,000 Yamaha GX 390 grinding machines for empowerment beneficiaries across the state.

In another major decision, the Council approved a Public-Private Partnership arrangement for the redevelopment of the Yobe Liaison Office in Kaduna into a modern hotel under a Build, Operate and Transfer (BOT) model.

Under the arrangement, the property will revert to the ownership of the Yobe State Government after 10 years, while the state’s liaison services will continue to operate from the property.

The approvals underscore the Buni administration’s emphasis on agricultural empowerment, infrastructure development, road connectivity, urban renewal, housing, women’s economic empowerment and the strategic utilisation of government assets.

Yobe Executive Council Approves N73.3bn for Agriculture, Roads, Housing, Markets, Empowerment

Egypt, Nigeria Deepen Push for African Solutions to Continental Challenges

By: Michael Mike

Egypt has reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening its partnership with Nigeria to develop African-led solutions to the continent’s challenges and promote a fairer global order that reflects Africa’s aspirations.

The Ambassador of the Arab Republic of Egypt, Mohammed Fouad,, made the commitment on Thursday in Abuja at a ceremony organised by the Egyptian Embassy to commemorate the 74th anniversary of Egypt’s July 23, 1952 Revolution.

Fouad described the revolution as a defining moment in Egypt’s modern history, saying it restored the country’s dignity, independence and hope, while continuing to inspire its commitment to sovereignty, social justice and national development.

He said Egypt and Nigeria, as two pillars of African diplomacy, had a shared responsibility to champion African unity, sovereignty and multilateralism.

“Egypt and Nigeria are pillars of African diplomacy. Together we champion African unity, sovereignty and multilateralism.

“We advocate African solutions to African problems and a fairer global order that reflects Africa’s aspirations.

“By coordinating our positions in regional organisations, we amplify Africa’s voice on development finance, peacekeeping, climate justice and in shaping policies that deliver tangible benefits to our citizens,” he said.

The ambassador noted that the two countries had recorded 65 years of formal diplomatic relations since shortly after Nigeria’s independence in 1960, describing the milestone as a reflection of a relationship that had grown beyond official government-to-government ties.

He said the relationship had been strengthened by people-to-people exchanges, noting that more than 10,000 Nigerian students were currently studying in Egyptian universities.

According to him, the educational exchanges are helping to produce a new generation of leaders capable of strengthening relations between the two societies.

Fouad added that tourism, business and academic exchanges between both countries had continued to intensify, creating a solid foundation for deeper cooperation.

“At a time of global uncertainty, Egypt and Nigeria recognise the importance of redefining and deepening our partnership to address shared challenges,” he said.

The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Amb. Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, represented at the event by the Permanent Secretary of the ministry, Amb. Omar Ahmed, congratulated the government and people of Egypt on the milestone in the countries’ diplomatic relations.

She described Nigeria-Egypt relations as a pivotal partnership between two of Africa’s largest and most influential economies.

Odumegwu-Ojukwu said Nigeria was committed to strengthening bilateral relations with Egypt by exploring new channels for investment and innovation in support of Nigeria’s Renewed Hope Agenda and Egypt’s strategic development goals.

“Nigeria is dedicated to strengthening its bilateral relations with Egypt, actively seeking new channels for investment and innovation that support both our Renewed Hope Agenda and Egypt’s Strategic Development Goals.

“By harnessing our collective resources and dynamic youth population, we are poised to foster a more prosperous, stable and secure Africa,” she said.

The minister also commended the continued support by both countries for each other’s positions on the international stage, describing their partnership for African development as a key vehicle for advancing the continent’s progress.

She said Nigeria and Egypt remained committed to preventing conflicts in Africa, restructuring United Nations institutions, implementing the Sustainable Development Goals and pursuing the peaceful resolution of the Arab-Israeli crisis without interference in the domestic affairs of other states.

Egypt, Nigeria Deepen Push for African Solutions to Continental Challenges