Major Setback for Pantami as Court Cancels PDP Gombe Ticket, Orders Fresh Primary

The Federal High Court sitting in Gombe State has nullified the emergence of former Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Prof. Isa Ali Ibrahim Pantami, as the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate and ordered the party to conduct a fresh primary election.

Justice Amina Aliyu Mohammed delivered the judgment on Thursday, September 24, 2026, in a suit challenging the process through which Pantami emerged as the PDP candidate for the 2027 Gombe State governorship election.

Garry Challenges Pantami’s Emergence

The suit was filed by PDP governorship aspirant Usman Aliyu Garry, who challenged the validity of the process that produced Pantami as the party’s candidate.

Garry argued that the PDP did not conduct a valid governorship primary in accordance with the party’s guidelines and applicable electoral requirements.

Pantami had emerged from the PDP’s governorship process in May through voice affirmation and was subsequently announced by the party as its sole candidate on June 26, 2026.

The development came after Pantami left the All Progressives Congress (APC), where he had sought the governorship ticket, following the party’s decision to adopt Jamilu Isyaku Gwamna as its consensus candidate.

The Bureau Journal had earlier reported on the APC decision in a report on how Pantami and Alkali fell short as the APC chose Gwamna in Gombe.

Court Orders Fresh PDP Primary

In its judgment, the Federal High Court ordered the PDP to return to the primary-election process and conduct a fresh governorship primary in accordance with the party’s guidelines and relevant electoral laws.

The ruling effectively invalidates the process through which Pantami emerged as the PDP’s governorship candidate and requires the party to organise another contest to determine its candidate for the 2027 election.

The judgment follows legal challenges over whether the procedure used to produce Pantami satisfied the requirements governing the selection of political party candidates.

The Bureau Journal had also reported earlier on Pantami’s decision to leave the APC governorship race after raising concerns over the process that produced Gwamna as the party’s consensus candidate in Gombe.

Pantami’s Political Journey Takes Another Turn

Pantami’s emergence as the PDP candidate followed a rapid political shift after his departure from the APC.

He had initially pursued the APC governorship ticket before the party settled on Gwamna. Pantami subsequently joined the PDP and became the party’s candidate through the May voice-affirmation process.

His move to the PDP became one of the major developments in the 2027 Gombe governorship contest, with the former minister subsequently campaigning under the opposition party’s platform.

The Bureau Journal has continued to track the political realignments surrounding the race, including the resignation of Gombe PDP Youth Leader Jamilu Ali Kalshingi and his reported move towards the APC and Gwamna.

Another development was the resignation of a former Pantami adviser, Muhammad Buhari Dalhatu, who later declared support for Gwamna. The Bureau Journal reported the development as another shift in Gombe’s political landscape.

Fresh Contest Opens PDP Governorship Race

With the court ordering a fresh primary, the PDP will now have to restart its process for selecting a governorship candidate in Gombe State.

The ruling could also reopen the party’s governorship contest to aspirants who had previously challenged the process that produced Pantami.

The development adds another layer to an increasingly active 2027 political contest in Gombe, where the APC has already settled on Gwamna while political movements continue across other parties.

The Bureau Journal previously reported that former PDP governorship candidate Ahmed Yayari left the party and declared support for Gwamna, while members of the political family of former Gombe Governor Abubakar Habu Hashidu have also backed the APC candidate.

Those developments have unfolded alongside other political movements, including the reported defection of a former ADC state secretary to the APC and continued efforts by political actors to build support ahead of the 2027 election.

What the Court Ruling Means

The immediate consequence of the judgment is that the PDP cannot rely on the process that produced Pantami as its final governorship selection process in Gombe.

The party is now required to conduct another primary in compliance with its internal rules and the applicable electoral framework. The outcome of that fresh exercise will determine who flies the PDP flag in the Gombe governorship election.

For Pantami, the judgment reopens the party’s nomination process after his earlier emergence as the PDP candidate. For the PDP, it creates the need for another governorship primary as the 2027 political contest continues to take shape.