Court Affirms Pantami as PDP Member, Orders Fresh Gubernatorial Primary in Gombe
The Federal High Court in Gombe has affirmed that Professor Isa Ali Ibrahim Pantami is a valid member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and has ordered the party to conduct a fresh governorship primary within one month.
Pantami was earlier declared the PDP governorship candidate on 26 May 2026 after other aspirants were disqualified. However, four of the disqualified contenders challenged the process in court. One of them, Miss Monica Yahya Kolthi, later withdrew her suit and publicly endorsed Pantami.
The remaining three aspirants — Hamma Sale, Khamis Mailantarki and Usman Aliyu — continued with the legal challenge. In its ruling on Thursday, the court dismissed Hamma Sale’s case but held that the PDP must repeat the primary election.
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According to the judgment, the PDP’s National Working Committee (NWC) had disqualified Mailantarki and Usman during the screening process and directed that all affected aspirants be formally notified of their disqualification.
The court found that the party failed to issue formal notifications to the disqualified aspirants as required. It ruled that the lack of proper communication invalidated the process and necessitated a fresh primary.
As a result, the PDP must announce a new date for the governorship primary and formally notify Pantami, Mailantarki and Usman to participate in the repeat exercise.
PRNigeria could not independently verify when the fresh primary will be scheduled, as the party had yet to issue an official timetable at the time of filing this report.
The ruling adds a new twist to the PDP’s governorship race in Gombe, where internal disputes over eligibility and procedure have persisted since the 2026 screening exercise.
By PRNigeria
