The Federal High Court sitting in Gombe has nullified the emergence of former Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Prof. Isa Ali Pantami, as the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Gombe State and ordered the party to conduct a fresh primary.
Justice Amina Aliyu Mohammed gave the order on Thursday in a suit filed by Usman Aliyu Garry, who challenged Pantami’s emergence as the party’s candidate.
Garry argued that the required governorship primary was not conducted before Pantami was declared the party’s candidate.
Pantami had emerged as the PDP governorship candidate in May after defecting from the All Progressives Congress (APC), following the emergence of Jamilu Gwamna as the APC’s consensus candidate.
His emergence came through voice affirmation at a PDP gathering in Gombe. Pantami was the governorship candidate backed by the faction of the PDP linked to FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, and former Gombe Governor, Ibrahim Dankwambo.
The former minister was among the governorship candidates on whom the Wike faction was banking ahead of the 2027 election.
However, delivering judgment in the suit on Thursday, the court ordered the PDP to conduct a fresh governorship primary in accordance with the party’s guidelines and relevant electoral laws.
The ruling comes amid the continuing leadership crisis within the PDP, with rival factions producing separate candidates for the 2027 elections.
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