Mustapha Saye, Kaduna
A Federal High Court sitting in Gombe has nullified the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship primary that produced Professor Isa Ali Ibrahim Pantami as the party’s candidate for the 2027 Gombe State governorship election.
The court ordered the PDP to conduct a fresh governorship primary in accordance with the party’s guidelines and applicable electoral requirements.
The judgment followed a legal challenge to the process through which Pantami emerged as the PDP governorship candidate and subsequently received the party’s Certificate of Return.
Pantami, a former Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, had emerged as the party’s candidate after the governorship primary.
However, the latest ruling has invalidated that primary and requires the PDP to return to the field to conduct another primary.
The judgment does not, by itself, prevent Pantami from participating in a fresh primary. His eligibility to contest, along with that of other aspirants, will depend on the party’s rules, applicable electoral requirements and any further court proceedings.
The development is expected to generate further political and legal activities within the PDP as the party considers its next steps ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Affected aspirants and other stakeholders are expected to study the full judgment and decide whether to pursue further legal remedies.
For the PDP, the immediate task will be to comply with the court’s order while managing competing interests among its governorship aspirants ahead of the 2027 election.
