Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
The Federal High Court sitting in Gombe has nullified the emergence of Professor Isa Ali Pantami as the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party in Gombe State, ordering the party to conduct a fresh primary election within 30 days. The ruling, delivered on Thursday, September 24, 2026, by Justice Amina Aliyu Mohammed, effectively removes Pantami from the PDP's governorship ticket and reopens the contest for the party's flagbearer ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The court's decision followed a suit filed by Usman Aliyu Garry, a PDP governorship aspirant who challenged the process through which Pantami emerged as the party's candidate. Garry argued that the PDP failed to conduct a valid primary election as required under the party's guidelines and Nigeria's electoral laws before announcing Pantami as its sole candidate on June 26, 2026. Justice Mohammed agreed, holding that the process did not meet the legal and constitutional requirements for producing a governorship candidate.
The ruling also ordered Pantami to stop parading himself as the PDP governorship candidate in Gombe State. The fresh primary is expected to be conducted between Pantami and Khamisu Mailantarki, another aspirant who had separately challenged the primary. Mailantarki, through his lawyer, Mustapha Ibrahim (SAN), had argued that Pantami was not a registered member of the PDP at the time the primary was held and should not have been allowed to participate. The court's decision effectively validates those concerns and opens the door for a properly conducted contest.
Pantami's path to the PDP ticket was anything but conventional. The former Minister of Communications and Digital Economy had initially sought the governorship ticket of the All Progressives Congress. However, he left the party after the APC settled on Jamilu Gwamna as its consensus candidate in Gombe. Pantami subsequently defected to the PDP, where he secured the governorship ticket through a voice affirmation exercise during a party primary held in May 2026. On June 26, 2026, the PDP formally announced him as its sole governorship candidate.
But the process was immediately challenged by aggrieved aspirants. Garry, Mailantarki, and Alhaji Hamma-Sale Abdulkadir filed separate suits questioning the validity of Pantami's nomination. They alleged that Pantami neither purchased the PDP nomination form nor participated in the party's screening for governorship aspirants. They also contended that he was pursuing the APC governorship ticket during the same period and was not a member of the PDP on the day the party allegedly adopted him through a consensus arrangement. The suits were heard by Justice Mohammed, who reserved judgment in July after hearing arguments from both sides.
The court's ruling is a significant setback for Pantami, who had been presented with a Certificate of Return by a faction of the PDP loyal to former Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike. The development also deepens the internal crisis within the PDP in Gombe State, where rival factions had issued conflicting certificates of return to different aspirants. The National Working Committee of the PDP had been awaiting the court's verdict to resolve the dispute, with party leaders acknowledging that the controversy over Pantami's candidacy had created tension within the state chapter.
For the PDP, the ruling raises urgent questions about its preparations for the 2027 governorship election. The party must now organise a fresh primary within 30 days, a tight timeline that will require swift action to comply with the court's order and the Electoral Act. The fresh primary must be conducted in line with the PDP's constitution, guidelines, and the provisions of the electoral laws, ensuring that only eligible aspirants participate. The outcome of that primary will determine who leads the party into the 2027 contest in Gombe State.
The ruling also has implications beyond Gombe. It underscores the growing role of the judiciary in resolving pre-election disputes over candidate selection, a pattern that has become increasingly common across Nigeria as political parties grapple with internal disagreements over primaries and consensus arrangements. The case serves as a reminder that parties must adhere strictly to their own rules and the Electoral Act in selecting candidates, or risk having their choices overturned in court.
As of the time of this report, neither Pantami nor the PDP had issued an official statement on the ruling. Pantami's supporters are expected to review the judgment and decide on the next course of action, which may include an appeal. The PDP, meanwhile, faces the immediate task of complying with the court's order and organising a fresh primary that meets legal requirements. For the people of Gombe State, the ruling adds another layer of uncertainty to the political landscape ahead of the 2027 elections, as the PDP seeks to present a credible candidate capable of contesting the governorship against the ruling APC and other parties.
The court's decision is a decisive intervention in a dispute that had threatened to fracture the PDP in Gombe. It affirms the principle that internal party democracy cannot be sacrificed for expediency and that the courts will not hesitate to nullify processes that violate the law. For Pantami, the ruling is a painful reversal of fortune. For the PDP, it is an opportunity to reset and conduct a primary that reflects the will of its members. For Gombe State, it is a reminder that the road to 2027 will be paved with legal battles and political manoeuvrings. The next 30 days will be critical in determining who ultimately flies the PDP flag in the governorship election.
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