Court Voids Pantami’s PDP Governorship Candidacy, Orders Fresh Gombe Primary

The Federal High Court sitting in Gombe State has nullified the emergence of former Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Prof. Isa Ali Ibrahim Pantami, as the Peoples Democratic Party’s (PDP) governorship candidate for the 2027 election.

The High Court, in a judgement delivered by the presiding judge, Justice Amina Aliyu Mohammed, on Thursday, September 24, 2026, also ordered the PDP to conduct a fresh governorship primary in the state in accordance with its constitution, guidelines, and applicable electoral laws.

The court delivered the judgement in a suit filed by fellow PDP governorship aspirant Usman Aliyu Garry, who challenged the legality of the primary process that produced the former communications and digital economy minister as the party’s candidate.

In its judgement, the court agreed that the nomination process could not stand and ordered the PDP to conduct another governorship primary. The ruling followed the adoption of final written addresses and arguments by lawyers to the parties after the court had reserved judgement in July.

In its application to seek the nullification of the outcome of the primaries that brought in Pantami, Usman Garry said the former minister was not eligible for the position because of his previous political affiliation. Garry’s counsel, however, asked the court to dismiss the objections and grant the reliefs sought by his client.

In their response to Usman Garry’s lawsuit, Pantami’s legal team argued that he had properly resigned his APC membership before participating in the PDP primary, while the PDP urged the court to strike out the case.

While the court’s order means the PDP cannot simply retain Pantami as its candidate on the strength of the May 26 exercise, the ruling throws the PDP’s Gombe governorship ticket open again and brings a new legal and political phase to the party’s preparations for the 2027 election.

Professor Pantami had emerged as the PDP candidate at a governorship primary held on May 26, having announced his resignation d from the APC on May 19, according to arguments presented by his counsel during the proceedings, after the APC settled on Jamilu Gwamna as its candidate.

Pantami later joined the PDP and won the party’s governorship primary. Other aspirants challenged the outcome, arguing that the primary violated the PDP’s constitution, nomination guidelines and applicable electoral laws.

Garry was among those who approached the court, asking it to set aside Pantami’s emergence and compel the PDP to conduct a fresh and valid primary.

As a result, the ruling of the court does not amount to a permanent disqualification of Pantami from seeking the PDP nomination; instead, the court affirmed Pantami’s membership of the PDP while ordering a fresh governorship primary.

Following the ruling, the PDP is expected to hold a fresh primary in which Garry may participate and seek the support required under the party’s rules.

Apart from the plaintiff in the case, the court ruling has now opened opportunities for other aspirants in the party. One of them is Khamisu Mailantarki, who also challenged the May primary and sought an order for a fresh exercise involving eligible aspirants.

Earlier proceedings in Mailantarki’s case showed that the dispute concerned not only Pantami’s candidacy but also the screening and exclusion of other aspirants from the nomination process.

The development now puts the PDP under pressure to organise another governorship primary that meets the court’s requirements. The party will have to determine the timetable, screening arrangements and list of eligible aspirants while ensuring that the process complies with its own rules and applicable electoral law.

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