Court voids Pantami’s PDP candidacy, orders new primary in Gombe

The Federal High Court in Gombe has issued an order compelling the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to hold a new primary election for the position of governor of the state before the 2027 general elections.

Justice Amina Aliyu Mohammed delivered the ruling on Thursday following a suit brought before her by the party’s gubernatorial aspirant, Usman Aliyu Garry, challenging the process that saw the emergence of Professor Isa Ali Pantami as the candidate of the party.

Garry had questioned the validity of Pantami’s emergence, arguing that the process did not comply with the requirements for the conduct of a valid party primary.

The development follows months of legal challenges over Pantami’s candidacy.

Pantami had emerged as the PDP governorship candidate on May 26, 2026, after he defected from the All Progressives Congress (APC) to the opposition party.

He had earlier withdrawn from the APC governorship race after the party’s leadership in Gombe settled on Jamilu Gwamna as its consensus candidate.

Upon joining the PDP, Pantami was endorsed as the party’s governorship candidate through a voice affirmation at a gathering of party stakeholders in Gombe.

The process, however, was immediately challenged by some PDP aspirants, including Garry and Khamisu Mailantarki, who argued that the party had failed to follow the appropriate procedure for selecting its candidate.

Garry subsequently instituted a suit challenging Pantami’s candidacy and the process through which he emerged.

At an earlier stage of the proceedings in July, the Federal High Court had reserved judgment after hearing arguments from the parties in the case.

The court has now ordered the PDP to conduct a fresh governorship primary in accordance with the party’s guidelines and applicable electoral laws.

The ruling could further complicate the PDP’s preparations for the 2027 Gombe governorship election, following the controversy that has surrounded Pantami’s nomination since his defection from the APC.

Pantami had subsequently received a Certificate of Return from the PDP in June after the party recognised him as its governorship candidate.

The fresh primary ordered by the court is expected to provide another opportunity for eligible aspirants to participate in the selection of the party’s governorship candidate.

The ruling also comes as political parties intensify preparations for the 2027 elections, with pre-election disputes over candidate selection and party primaries already generating litigation in several states.