A Federal High Court in Gombe State has ordered the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, to hold a fresh governorship primary election in the state after nullifying the process that produced Professor Isa Ali Pantami as the party’s candidate for the 2027 election.
Justice Amina Aliyu Mohammed issued the order on Thursday, September 24, 2026, while delivering judgment in a case brought by Usman Aliyu Garry against Pantami’s emergence as the PDP governorship candidate.
Garry had challenged Pantami’s selection after the PDP announced him as its sole candidate on June 26, 2026. He argued that the party did not conduct the required primary election before presenting Pantami as its candidate.
Pantami had previously sought the governorship ticket of the All Progressives Congress, APC, but left the party after its leadership settled on Jamilu Gwamna as its consensus candidate for the Gombe governorship race.
He later joined the PDP and emerged as the party’s governorship candidate through a voice affirmation at its governorship primary held in May.
However, the court, in its ruling delivered on Thursday, directed the PDP to organise another governorship primary election in Gombe State.
The judge ordered that the fresh exercise must be conducted in line with the PDP’s internal rules as well as applicable electoral laws and guidelines.
The ruling means the PDP will have to begin another process for selecting its governorship candidate in Gombe, following the legal challenge to the earlier process.
The case was filed by Garry over the manner in which Pantami emerged as the party’s candidate, with the plaintiff questioning whether the procedure used by the PDP met the requirements for a valid governorship primary.
The fresh primary is expected to provide another opportunity for eligible PDP governorship aspirants to participate in the process and for the party to produce a candidate through an exercise that complies with the court’s directives and relevant electoral requirements.