Gombe Students Endorse Tinubu, Gwamna Ahead of 2027
A student organisation in Gombe State, JAGABA/INUWA Students' Mandate 2027, has declared its backing for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the All Progressives Congress governorship hopeful in the state, Dr Jamilu Isyaku Gwamna, in the lead-up to the 2027 general elections. The group announced its position in a statement released on Thursday, which also unveiled its Campus Ambassadors initiative to be introduced in tertiary institutions across the state.
Under the programme, students will be mobilised and discussions will be encouraged on matters of education, governance and youth development. The ambassadors are expected to interact with fellow students about government policies and interventions.
Comrade Kasim Abubakar, the Convener, addressed the launch and outlined the areas the group will monitor, pointing to documented strides in school infrastructure, teacher recruitment, access to education, examination performance, girl-child education, out-of-school children and tertiary education. He explained that the initiative offers students a forum to deliberate on programmes that shape their schooling and prospects.
"We are launching a platform that will engage students on the developments taking place in the education sector. Our Campus Ambassadors will take this conversation to campuses across Gombe, engage their fellow students and encourage informed discussions about programmes and interventions affecting their education and future," Abubakar said.
The group identified federal education efforts, notably the Nigerian Education Loan Fund, technical and vocational education and training, tertiary infrastructure and research funding, as reasons for its support of the Tinubu administration. Abubakar stated that by August 2026, over 1.6 million NELFUND applications had been processed, with more than N322 billion paid out to students in universities, polytechnics, colleges of education and vocational schools. He also mentioned a federal plan to train more than one million youths at 1,600 centres, in addition to investments in tertiary infrastructure and research.
Regarding Gombe State, the group noted that Governor Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya's government had made education a priority since it declared a state of emergency in the sector in 2019. The administration, it said, reported the building and rehabilitation of over 1,600 classrooms in about 350 schools, and the hiring of more than 1,000 teachers.
The group pointed to reported gains in examination results, stating that the share of students earning at least five credits, including English and Mathematics, in national examinations climbed from 22 per cent in 2019 to 76 per cent in 2024. It also highlighted the Better Education Service Delivery for All programme, which it said enrolled more than 350,000 out-of-school children into formal education.
Other measures listed were the conversion of five legacy secondary schools into Mega Colleges, backing for girl-child education through the Adolescent Girls Initiative for Learning and Empowerment, scholarships and bursaries, examination assistance and the return of compulsory mock examinations. The group added that the state had kept expanding Gombe State University with new faculties and campuses, while supporting tertiary institutions and gaining from TETFund-financed projects.
The inaugurated Campus Ambassadors were given the responsibility of mobilising at the grassroots, carrying out voter education and involving students in education programmes at both federal and state levels. The group also backed Gwamna, stating that he has expressed his intention to continue the work of the Inuwa Yahaya administration while bringing in fresh initiatives.
According to the group, Gwamna's campaign focuses on job creation, economic growth, youth and women empowerment, agriculture and livestock development, education, healthcare, infrastructure, entrepreneurship, investment and innovation. The Campus Ambassadors, it said, will spread the candidate's policies and programmes among students in tertiary institutions throughout the state.
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