Breaking: Gombe PDP Picks Date for Fresh Primary After Court’s Nullification of Pantami’s Candidacy

• A Federal High Court in Gombe nullified the PDP's earlier governorship primary and ordered a rerun within one month
• PDP Gombe cleared three aspirants, Pantami, Mailantarki, and Garry, for the rescheduled primary election
• The party said a Supreme Court verdict delivered on Thursday did not affect Pantami's eligibility to contest

Legit.ng journalist Ridwan Adeola Yusuf has over nine years of experience covering politics, elections, public affairs, and governance in Nigeria and Africa.

Gombe, Gombe State - The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Gombe State has cleared three governorship aspirants to participate in a rescheduled primary election set for Tuesday, September 29, 2026, after a Federal High Court struck down the party's earlier primary and ordered a fresh one.

The three aspirants cleared to contest are Prof. Isa Ali Pantami, Khamisu Ahmed Mailantarki, and Usman Aliyu Garry.

As reported by Daily Trust, the clearance was confirmed in a statement issued on Friday, September 25, by the State Publicity Secretary of the party, Abdulkadir Ahmed Dukku.

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Court nullifies Pantami’s ticket, orders PDP to conduct fresh governorship primary

Gombe PDP: Court orders rerun

A Federal High Court sitting in Gombe nullified the governorship primary the party had previously conducted, ruling on Thursday, September 25, that a fresh exercise must be held within one month. Following that order, the PDP moved quickly to announce September 29 as the date for the repeat primary.

"Following the nullification, the PDP wishes to inform all its card-carrying members that there will be a gubernatorial repeat primary election on Tuesday, 29th September, 2026. All eligible voters are expected to assemble at their respective ward areas to vote an aspirant of their choice," Dukku said.

In a separate statement, the party said it received the court judgment in good faith and welcomes the section of the ruling that validated Pantami's PDP membership and his participation in the May 2026 primary.

Isa Pantami's eligibility confirmed

Dukku also addressed a Supreme Court verdict delivered by Justice Adamu Jauro, clarifying that the ruling did not bar Pantami from contesting in the rescheduled primary election.

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The party said its leadership and the aspirants involved were still studying the full legal implications of the court judgment.

The statement read, according to The Cable:

"While the legal implications and directives contained in the judgment are being studied, we urge all members, supporters and stakeholders of our great party in Gombe State to remain calm, peaceful and united."

Dukku urged party members to avoid speculation and inflammatory statements that could stir up tension, adding that the PDP would take all necessary steps within the law to protect its interests and preserve its democratic integrity.

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• Saraki explains why PDP’s national convention should be suspended, proposes solution
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Solution to prolonged PDP crisis

Earlier, Legit.ng reported that ahead of the 2027 elections, FCT Minister Nyesom Wike asked the PDP to respect the court's judgments on the party's national convention.

The PDP chieftain, who spoke in an interview on Channels Television’s 'Politics Today', monitored by Legit.ng.

Source: Legit.ng