The Federal High Court sitting in Gombe State has nullified the emergence of former Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Prof. Isa Ali Pantami, as the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
The court also ordered the party to conduct a fresh governorship primary to select its candidate for the 2027 election.
Justice Amina Aliyu Mohammed issued the order on Thursday while delivering judgment in a suit filed by Usman Aliyu Garry, who challenged the process through which Pantami emerged as the PDP candidate.
Garry had approached the court after the PDP announced Pantami as its sole governorship candidate on June 26, 2026.
He argued that the process did not satisfy the requirement for a valid governorship primary, contending that the party failed to conduct the election required to produce its candidate.
Pantami’s emergence had followed his defection from the All Progressives Congress (APC) to the PDP.
The former minister had initially sought the APC governorship ticket but left the party after the APC settled on Jamilu Gwamna as its consensus candidate.
Following his defection, Pantami joined the PDP and participated in the party’s governorship primary held in May.
He subsequently emerged as the party’s candidate through voice affirmation.
However, the process came under legal challenge, with Garry asking the court to invalidate Pantami’s emergence on the grounds that the required primary election was not properly conducted.
In its judgment on Thursday, the Federal High Court upheld the challenge and directed the PDP to return to the field and conduct a fresh governorship primary.
The court ordered that the new exercise must be conducted in line with the PDP’s guidelines and relevant provisions of the electoral laws.
The ruling effectively removes Pantami from the PDP’s governorship ticket and opens a fresh contest among aspirants seeking to represent the party in the 2027 Gombe governorship election.
More details soon.