BREAKING: Court nullifies Pantami’s PDP ticket, orders fresh governorship primary in Gombe

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

Justice Amina Aliyu Mohammed delivered the judgment on Thursday in a suit filed by PDP governorship aspirant Usman Aliyu Garry, who challenged the process that produced Pantami as the party’s candidate.

Garry had argued that the PDP failed to conduct a valid governorship primary in accordance with its guidelines and relevant electoral laws. The case was among pre-election suits challenging Pantami’s candidacy.

In its judgment, the court directed the PDP to conduct a fresh governorship primary in compliance with the party’s guidelines and applicable electoral laws.

Pantami, who was previously an All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship aspirant, defected to the PDP after the APC settled on Jamilu Gwamna as its consensus candidate. He subsequently emerged as the PDP’s candidate through voice affirmation at the party’s governorship primary in May.

Garry challenged the process, while the PDP and Pantami opposed the suit. Pantami’s counsel had argued that he resigned from the APC on May 19, 2026, before participating in the PDP primary, while the PDP urged the court to strike out the case.

The court had earlier reserved judgment after lawyers representing the parties adopted their final written addresses and presented their arguments in the case.

The judgment means the PDP will have to organise another governorship primary in Gombe State in line with the court’s directive, reopening the process through which the party will select its candidate for the 2027 election.