The Federal High Court in Gombe has nullified the Peoples Democratic Party’s governorship ticket secured by former Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Prof. Isa Ali Pantami, and ordered the party to conduct a fresh primary in the state….
The Federal High Court in Gombe has nullified the Peoples Democratic Party’s governorship ticket secured by former Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Prof. Isa Ali Pantami, and ordered the party to conduct a fresh primary in the state.
Justice Amina Aliyu Mohammed according to Daily Trust gave the order on Thursday, September 24, 2026, in a suit filed by Usman Aliyu Garry challenging Pantami’s emergence as the PDP candidate for the 2027 Gombe governorship election.
Garry had argued that the PDP failed to conduct a valid governorship primary before announcing Pantami as its candidate.
The PDP had announced Pantami as its sole candidate on June 26, 2026, after he emerged through voice affirmation at the party’s governorship primary held in May.
Pantami, a former APC member, defected to the PDP after the APC settled on Jamilu Gwamna as its consensus candidate.
In its judgment, the Federal High Court ordered the PDP to conduct a fresh governorship primary in accordance with the party’s guidelines and relevant electoral laws.
The ruling followed arguments by the parties over the validity of Pantami’s emergence and the process through which he secured the PDP ticket.
Garry had approached the court to challenge the process, while Pantami, the PDP and the Independent National Electoral Commission opposed the challenge.
The court’s order now requires the PDP to begin a fresh process for selecting its governorship candidate in Gombe State.
