Court Nullifies Pantami’s Ticket, Orders PDP to Conduct Fresh Governorship Primary
- A Federal High Court in Gombe ruled on the validity of Prof. Isa Ali Pantami's emergence as the PDP governorship candidate in Gombe State
- The suit was filed by Usman Aliyu Garry, who argued that the party skipped a proper primary election before announcing Pantami as its candidate
- Pantami had defected to the PDP from the APC after his party settled on a different consensus candidate ahead of the 2027 elections
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A Federal High Court in Gombe has ruled that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) must organise a new governorship primary election in Gombe State, declaring that the process which produced Prof. Isa Ali Pantami as the party's candidate did not meet legal and constitutional requirements.
Justice Amina Aliyu Mohammed delivered the judgement on Thursday in a suit brought by Usman Aliyu Garry, who had gone to court to contest the legitimacy of Pantami's candidacy.
Source: Facebook
How Pantami emerged as PDP candidate
Pantami's path to the PDP ticket began after the All Progressives Congress (APC) chose Jamilu Gwamna through a consensus arrangement, leaving Pantami without a platform in his former party. He subsequently defected to the PDP, where he secured the governorship ticket through a voice affirmation exercise during a party primary held in May.
On June 26, 2026, the PDP formally announced Pantami as its sole governorship candidate in Gombe State.
Court's ruling on the primary process
Garry's challenge centred on the argument that the PDP failed to conduct an actual primary election as required under the party's own guidelines and Nigeria's electoral laws. The court agreed, ordering the PDP to hold a fresh, properly conducted primary election that complies with both the party's internal rules and the relevant legal framework.
The ruling raises significant questions about the PDP's governorship plans in Gombe State ahead of the 2027 general elections, given that Pantami had already been publicly presented as the party's candidate.
Source: Legit.ng
