Islamic Tsangaya teachers across Gombe State have endorsed the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate, Jamilu Isyaku Gwamna, ahead of the 2027 election, pledging to mobilise at least 150,000 votes for him.

The teachers said their support was informed by the need to sustain Governor Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya’s reforms in Islamic education, particularly the establishment of the Almajiri Commission and modern Tsangaya schools across the state.

The endorsement was made on Thursday at a gathering of Tsangaya teachers and Islamic scholars representing the state’s 240 wards at the Federal College of Education (Technical), Gombe.

The conference was convened to review the government’s interventions in Tsangaya education and to discuss ways to sustain the reforms beyond the 2027 administration.

Participants commended the state government for introducing modern Tsangaya schools that combine Qur’anic education with Western education, literacy, numeracy, vocational training and life skills.

They said the initiative had expanded opportunities for children enrolled in traditional Qur’anic education to acquire additional skills needed to participate in the modern economy and society.

According to them, Gwamna, if elected, will continue and strengthen the modern Tsangaya initiative, particularly its role in expanding access to education and equipping children with practical skills.

They also linked the programme to efforts to reduce the number of out-of-school children in the state, arguing that integrating traditional Islamic education with formal and vocational learning could give more children access to broader opportunities.

The teachers subsequently pledged to mobilise at least 150,000 votes for the APC candidate in the 2027 governorship election, saying the reforms must be sustained to ensure more children benefit from education, skills acquisition and improved opportunities.

Following goodwill messages and Qur’anic recitations, the teachers formally declared their support for Gwamna, saying his emergence would provide an opportunity to consolidate the gains recorded in Islamic education.

Representing Governor Yahaya at the event, his Chief of Staff, Inuwa Kari, said the administration’s succession plan was aimed at ensuring continuity, responsive governance and the sustainability of ongoing development programmes.