Justice Amina Aliyu Mohammed gave the order 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.
The Federal High Court sitting in Gombe has nullified the emergence of 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 gave the order 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 asked the court to set aside Pantami’s emergence, arguing that the PDP failed to conduct a valid governorship primary in accordance with its rules and applicable electoral laws. The case was among separate pre-election suits challenging Pantami’s candidacy.
The court, in its judgment, directed the PDP to conduct a fresh governorship primary in compliance with the party’s guidelines and relevant electoral laws.
The judgment comes after the court had, in July, reserved its decision following the adoption of final written addresses and arguments by lawyers representing the parties.
Pantami, a former Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, had defected from the All Progressives Congress (APC) to the PDP after the APC settled on Jamilu Gwamna as its governorship candidate.
He subsequently emerged as the PDP’s candidate in the party’s May 26 governorship primary.
Garry challenged the process, asking the court to determine whether Pantami’s emergence complied with the law and the PDP’s rules.
The PDP and Pantami had opposed the suit. Pantami’s counsel argued that he had 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.
Garry’s counsel, however, urged the court to dismiss the objections and grant the reliefs sought by his client.
The judgment now means the PDP will have to conduct another governorship primary in Gombe State in line with the court’s directive.
