The Federal High Court in Gombe on Thursday nullified the emergence of Professor Isa Ali Ibrahim Pantami as the Peoples Democratic Party’s governorship candidate for Gombe State and directed the party to conduct a fresh primary election.
Justice Amina Aliyu Mohammed delivered the judgment in a suit filed by PDP aspirant Usman Aliyu Garry. Garry had challenged the process that produced Pantami, arguing it failed to comply with the party’s rules and relevant electoral requirements. He asked the court to invalidate the nomination. Pantami and the PDP maintained that the process was lawful and followed party procedures.
The court rejected that defence, set aside Pantami’s candidacy and ordered the PDP to organise another governorship primary in line with its guidelines and electoral laws. The fresh primary will determine the party’s candidate for the 2027 Gombe State governorship election.
Pantami, a former Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, joined the PDP after withdrawing from the All Progressives Congress governorship race. He had cited disagreement over the process that produced Jamilu Gwamna as the APC candidate. On May 26, Pantami emerged as the PDP candidate through voice affirmation after being presented as the sole aspirant.
His entry into the race drew objections from several PDP aspirants, including Garry, Abdulkadir Hamma Saleh, Khamisu Ahmed Mailantarki and Monica Kaltho. They opposed his decision to contest on the PDP platform so soon after leaving the APC. Garry subsequently took the matter to court.
Thursday’s ruling requires the PDP to restart the process of selecting its governorship candidate.
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