Court Voids Pantami’s PDP Guber Candidacy, Orders Fresh Primary In Gombe

The Federal High Court in Gombe has nullified the Peoples Democratic Party’s (PDP) nomination of Professor Isa Ali Ibrahim Pantami as its candidate for the 2027 governorship election in Gombe State, directing the party to conduct a fresh primary.

Justice Amina Aliyu Mohammed delivered the judgment on Thursday in a suit instituted by another PDP governorship aspirant, Usman Aliyu Garry, who challenged the legality of the process through which Pantami emerged as the party’s candidate.

Garry had asked the court to invalidate Pantami’s nomination on the grounds that the process leading to his emergence contravened the PDP’s internal rules and applicable electoral provisions. Pantami and the PDP, however, opposed the suit and maintained that the primary was conducted in accordance with the party’s constitution, guidelines and the law.

In its ruling, the court set aside Pantami’s emergence and ordered the PDP to organise another governorship primary in compliance with its rules and relevant electoral laws. The judgment effectively reopens the party’s contest for the governorship ticket ahead of the 2027 election.

LEADERSHIP learns that Pantami’s candidacy had emerged after he left the All Progressives Congress (APC), where he had initially sought the governorship ticket. His decision followed the APC primary that produced Jamilu Isyaku Gwamna as the party’s candidate.

After joining the PDP, Pantami was presented as the sole aspirant at the party’s governorship primary held on May 26 and was declared the candidate through voice affirmation.

The arrangement, however, triggered objections from other aspirants within the PDP. Among those who challenged or opposed Pantami’s entry into the race were Garry, Abdulkadir Hamma Saleh, Khamisu Ahmed Mailantarki and Monica Kaltho, who questioned his participation in the party’s governorship process after his earlier involvement in the APC contest.

The dispute subsequently moved to the courts, with Garry asking the Federal High Court to cancel Pantami’s nomination and compel the PDP to hold a fresh primary.

During the proceedings, Garry’s legal team argued in favour of the reliefs sought, while counsel to Pantami and the PDP urged the court to dismiss the case, insisting that the candidate’s emergence was valid.

Justice Mohammed later reserved judgment after hearing the arguments from the parties.

Thursday’s ruling means the PDP will now have to restart the process of selecting its governorship candidate for Gombe State, subject to the court’s directive and the party’s applicable guidelines.

Pantami, a former Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, had been positioning himself as the PDP’s standard-bearer after his defection from the APC.

The court’s decision, however, leaves the party without a validly established governorship candidate from the disputed May primary and sets the stage for another contest within the opposition party.