The Federal High Court sitting in Gombe has nullified the emergence of former Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Professor Isa Ali Pantami, as the Peoples Democratic Party’s governorship candidate for the 2027 election and ordered the party to conduct a fresh primary.
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.
The court directed the PDP to conduct a fresh governorship primary in accordance with the party’s guidelines and relevant electoral laws.
Pantami had emerged as the PDP’s candidate after leaving the All Progressives Congress following disagreements over the APC’s process for selecting its candidate in Gombe State.
He subsequently joined the PDP and secured its governorship ticket through a voice affirmation at the party’s May 26 primary, after being presented as the sole aspirant. The party later announced him as its candidate.
The process, however, faced opposition from other PDP governorship aspirants, who challenged the legality of Pantami’s emergence.
One of the major legal arguments reported during the earlier proceedings was that Pantami was not a registered PDP member at the time of the primary and therefore should not have participated in the exercise. Pantami and the PDP opposed the challenge and maintained their position on the validity of his emergence.
With Thursday’s judgment, Pantami’s previous emergence as the PDP governorship candidate has been set aside, while the party has been ordered to organise another primary in compliance with its rules and applicable electoral requirements.
The ruling reopens the PDP governorship contest in Gombe State ahead of the 2027 election.
Pantami had previously contested for the APC governorship ticket but withdrew after the party moved towards Jamilu Gwamna as its preferred candidate. He subsequently moved to the PDP, where he secured the governorship ticket.
The latest court decision means the PDP must now follow the fresh primary process ordered by the court before a candidate can emerge through that exercise.
Further legal steps, including any possible appeal, could affect how the matter develops ahead of the 2027 election.
