The Federal High Court sitting in Gombe State has ordered the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to conduct a fresh governorship primary in Gombe within 30 days, effectively nullifying the process that produced Professor Isa Ali Pantami as the partyu2019s candidate for the 2027 governorship election. The court also ordered Pantami to stop parading himself as the PDP governorship candidate.
Justice Amina Aliyu Mohammed delivered the ruling on Thursday in a suit challenging the process through which Pantami emerged as the PDP candidate.
Key Highlights
- Federal High Court orders fresh PDP governorship primary in Gombe.
- PDP has 30 days to conduct the fresh primary.
- Court orders Isa Ali Pantami to stop parading himself as PDP candidate.
- The ruling followed a legal challenge to the primary that produced Pantami.
- The fresh contest is to be held between Isa Pantami and Khamisu Mailantarki, according to the court report.
- The decision reopens the PDP governorship contest ahead of the 2027 Gombe State election.
The suit was filed by Usman Aliyu Garry, who challenged Pantamiu2019s emergence and the process through which he became the PDPu2019s governorship candidate.
The legal challenge followed Pantamiu2019s move from the All Progressives Congress (APC) to the PDP after his unsuccessful bid for the APC governorship ticket. Earlier court proceedings showed that Pantami and the PDP had defended his participation in the PDP process, while the plaintiff challenged the validity of his emergence.
During earlier proceedings, counsel to Pantami argued that court documents showed he had resigned his APC membership on May 19, 2026, before participating in the PDP governorship primary. The plaintiffu2019s legal team, however, maintained that the process leading to Pantamiu2019s emergence was invalid, and had asked the court to order a fresh primary involving only eligible aspirants.
The Federal High Court had previously reserved judgment after hearing arguments from the parties.
Read also:
- Pantami defects to PDP, secures Gombe governorship ticket
- Gombe 2027: PDP aspirants reject Pantami over APC primary participation
- Court Upholds Jerry Damara’s APC Gombe South Senatorial Primary Victory
With Thursdayu2019s ruling, the PDP is required to organise another governorship primary within 30 days, while Pantami is barred from continuing to present himself as the partyu2019s candidate pending the fresh process.
The ruling is expected to reopen the PDPu2019s governorship contest in Gombe State and could alter the partyu2019s preparations for the 2027 general election. For more updates on this developing story, follow us on X.
