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The Federal High Court sitting in Gombe has quashed the nomination of former Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Professor Isa Ali Ibrahim Pantami, as the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the 2027 elections in Gombe State and ordered the party to conduct fresh primaries.
Justice Amina Aliyu Mohammed issued the ruling on Thursday following a pre-election lawsuit filed by PDP governorship aspirant Usman Aliyu Garry, who had challenged the process through which Pantami emerged as the party’s flag-bearer. Project reports
The ruling marks a fresh setback for the PDP’s preparations for the 2027 state governorship elections, after the court had earlier reserved judgment following the conclusion of the parties’ arguments. In July, the court heard submissions from the respective legal teams before setting the matter for trial.
Garry challenged Pantami’s emergence
Garry had approached the court seeking annulment of Pantami’s emergence, arguing that the process that led to his appointment did not comply with the PDP’s internal rules and applicable electoral requirements.
During the previous proceedings, Garry’s legal team had urged the court to award the requested damages, arguing that the process by which Pantami became the party’s candidate was legally flawed.
Pantami and the PDP, however, opposed the action and asked the court to dismiss the case. Their position was that Pantami’s appearance was valid and complied with party procedures and relevant legal provisions.
After hearing the parties’ arguments, Justice Mohammed reserved judgment while the parties await the court’s decision on the dispute.
The court orders new primaries
In Thursday’s ruling, the court quashed Pantami’s candidacy as the PDP governorship candidate and ordered the party to return to the primary electoral process.
The PDP is now required to hold another governorship primary in accordance with its guidelines and relevant election laws.
The ruling effectively removes Pantami’s previous appearance as the basis on which the PDP would proceed with its campaign for the Gombe governorship in 2027, pending any further legal steps that may arise from the ruling.
Pantami emerged after leaving the APC
Pantami’s political journey to the PDP governorship followed his withdrawal from the APC governorship contest in Gombe State.
The former minister had initially sought the APC ticket but later withdrew from the contest due to disagreements over the process that produced Jamilu Isyaku Gwamna as the consensus governorship candidate of the party.
The emergence of Gwamna had generated opposition among some aspirants, including Pantami, who later left the APC and joined the PDP.
Pantami subsequently contested the PDP governorship primaries and emerged as the party’s candidate on May 26, 2026, after being presented as the sole aspirant. His appearance was announced through vocal affirmation.
Other aspirants also contested the ticket
Pantami’s rise has not gone unchallenged within the PDP, and other aspirants have also questioned the circumstances of the primaries.
Apart from Garry, Khamisu Ahmed Mailantarki had separately approached the Federal High Court challenging Pantami’s emergence and seeking an order for fresh primaries.
The Mailantarki case was heard separately from Garry’s suit, although both actions arose from disputes over the process that produced Pantami as the PDP candidate.
In the proceedings concluded in July, Mailantarki’s lawyer argued that Pantami was not a member of the PDP at the time of the primaries and contested his participation in the trial. The PDP and Pantami disputed the allegations and defended the validity of the primaries.
Legal battle reshapes PDP’s 2027 plans
The latest ruling puts the PDP’s appointment as governor of Gombe back at the center of preparations for the 2027 elections.
With the court directing new primaries, the party will have to undertake another process to determine who will represent it in the governorship contest, subject to any further court proceedings arising from Thursday’s decision.
The development also reopens the race among those who had earlier expressed interest in the PDP ticket.
Before Pantami’s emergence, several aspirants had been associated with the party’s governorship contest, including Garry, Mailantarki, Abdulkadir Hamma Saleh and Monica Kaltho.
Ticket disputes had already led to multiple court proceedings, with the judiciary becoming a key avenue through which would-be aggrieved parties sought to challenge the process.
Pantami’s political trajectory
Pantami, a professor and former minister of communications and digital economy, has become one of the leading figures in the Gombe governorship race following his decision to leave the APC.
His move to the PDP came after his bid for the APC governorship failed, putting him in direct competition for the opposition party’s nomination.
His subsequent appearance as the PDP candidate initially positioned him as the party’s flag-bearer for the 2027 elections. Thursday’s ruling, however, means the nomination is no longer made based on the May 26 primaries.
The court order now requires the PDP to conduct another primary in compliance with applicable rules and election requirements.
Now a new competition awaits you
The immediate implication of the ruling is that the PDP must organize a new process to select its candidate for the Gombe governorship election.
The development could also trigger further legal steps, depending on whether either party chooses to appeal the decision to a higher court.
For the PDP, the ruling introduces another phase in the preparation for the 2027 elections, while for aspirants who had contested the party’s previous nomination process, it creates a new opportunity to participate in determining the party’s future flag-bearer.
The Court’s decision therefore ends the May 26 primaries as the basis for Pantami’s nomination and places the responsibility of selecting the PDP candidate through new primaries for the governorship back on the party.
