The Federal High Court sitting in Gombe has ordered the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to conduct a fresh primary election for its governorship ticket in Gombe State.
The court, presided over by Justice Amina Aliyu Mohammed, gave the order in a suit filed by Usman Aliyu Garry to challenge the emergence of Prof. Isa Ali Pantami as the PDP governorship candidate.
Garry had challenged Pantami’s emergence after the party announced him as its sole candidate on June 26, 2026, arguing that the required primary election was not conducted.
In its judgment on Thursday, the court nullified Pantami’s emergence and directed the PDP to conduct a fresh governorship primary in accordance with its guidelines and relevant electoral laws.
Pantami, a former Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, had joined the PDP after withdrawing from the All Progressives Congress governorship contest amid disagreement over the process that produced Jamilu Gwamna as the APC candidate.
He subsequently emerged as the PDP governorship candidate through voice affirmation at the party’s primary on May 26, after being presented as the sole aspirant.
His emergence generated opposition from some PDP governorship aspirants, including Garry, Abdulkadir Hamma Saleh, Khamisu Ahmed Mailantarki and Monica Kaltho, who had objected to Pantami entering the PDP governorship contest shortly after leaving the APC
