Legal Earthquake: Court Derails Pantami's Guber Bid in Gombe

The Federal High Court in Gombe has delivered a significant ruling, nullifying the Peoples Democratic Party’s (PDP) nomination of Professor Isa Ali Ibrahim Pantami as its candidate for the 2027 governorship election in Gombe State. The court has directed the PDP to conduct a fresh primary election for the gubernatorial ticket. Justice Amina Aliyu Mohammed issued this judgment on Thursday, in response to a suit initiated by another PDP governorship aspirant, Usman Aliyu Garry. Garry had challenged the legitimacy of the process through which Professor Pantami emerged as the party’s candidate.

Usman Aliyu Garry’s legal challenge sought to invalidate Pantami’s nomination, arguing that the process leading to his emergence contravened both the PDP’s internal rules and the applicable electoral provisions. In contrast, Professor Pantami and the PDP opposed the suit, maintaining that the primary election was conducted in full accordance with the party’s constitution, guidelines, and the law. After hearing arguments from all parties involved, the court, in its ruling, set aside Pantami’s emergence and mandated the PDP to organize another governorship primary that complies strictly with its rules and relevant electoral laws.

This judicial decision effectively reopens the contest for the party’s governorship ticket ahead of the 2027 election. Information gathered indicates that Pantami’s candidacy within the PDP had materialized after his departure from the All Progressives Congress (APC), where he had initially sought the governorship ticket. His decision to switch parties followed the APC primary, which had produced Jamilu Isyaku Gwamna as that party’s candidate. Upon joining the PDP, Pantami was presented as the sole aspirant at the party’s governorship primary held on May 26 and was subsequently declared the candidate through a voice affirmation process.

However, this arrangement sparked objections from several other aspirants within the PDP. Among those who challenged or opposed Pantami’s entry into the gubernatorial race were Usman Aliyu Garry, Abdulkadir Hamma Saleh, Khamisu Ahmed Mailantarki, and Monica Kaltho. These aspirants questioned the legality and fairness of his participation in the PDP’s governorship process, given his earlier involvement in the APC contest. The dispute consequently escalated and moved to the courts, with Garry specifically asking the Federal High Court to cancel Pantami’s nomination and compel the PDP to hold a fresh primary election.

During the court proceedings, Garry’s legal team presented arguments in support of the reliefs sought, while the counsel representing Pantami and the PDP urged the court to dismiss the case, insisting on the validity of the candidate’s emergence. Justice Mohammed later reserved her judgment after carefully considering the arguments presented by all parties. Thursday’s ruling now necessitates that the PDP must restart the entire process of selecting its governorship candidate for Gombe State, adhering to the court’s directives and the party’s applicable guidelines. This decision leaves the PDP without a validly established governorship candidate from the disputed May primary and sets the stage for another intense contest within the opposition party. Professor Pantami, a former Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, had been positioning himself as the PDP’s standard-bearer after his defection from the APC, but his path to candidacy has now been interrupted by the court’s directive.