WorldStage– The Federal High Court sitting in Gombe has nullified the emergence of former Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Professor Isa Ali Ibrahim Pantami, as the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate for the 2027 election.
In the judgment, presiding judge Justice Amina Aliyu Mohammed ordered the PDP to conduct a fresh gubernatorial primary election in the state within 30 days.
The court mandated that the new election must strictly comply with the party’s constitution, internal guidelines, and relevant Nigerian electoral laws.
The legal battle followed an intense internal dispute within the Gombe State PDP chapter.
Professor Pantami, who recently defected from the All Progressives Congress (APC) after failing to secure their consensus ticket, was declared the PDP flag bearer in mid-2026.
However, his emergence as the sole candidate sparked immediate outrage among party loyalists and other contenders who argued that democratic norms had been bypassed.
The suit challenging the primary was instituted by a fellow PDP governorship aspirant, Usman Aliyu Garry.
Garry argued that the process which produced Pantami did not constitute a valid or transparent primary election.
He maintained that the state leadership had effectively locked out other qualified aspirants without conducting proper voting.
While the court affirmed that Pantami is indeed a validly registered member of the PDP, Justice Mohammed ruled that the nomination process itself was deeply flawed and could not stand.
The court agreed with the plaintiff that the party failed to follow proper procedures before declaring Pantami its standard-bearer and therefore voided the initial primary.
Reacting swiftly to the judgment, the PDP National Leadership expressed its readiness to comply with the judicial directive.
In a statement issued late Thursday, the PDP National Publicity Secretary, Haruna Mohammed Jungudo, stated that the party would carefully study the certified true copy of the judgment and organize a fresh, transparent primary process as ordered.
The ruling completely resets the political landscape for the PDP in Gombe State ahead of the 2027 general elections.
With the ticket now vacant, previously aggrieved aspirants are expected to return to the field, setting the stage for a highly competitive and closely watched primary rerun.
