Former Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Isa Ali Pantami, has emerged as the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate for Gombe State in the 2027 election after winning the party’s fresh primary.
Pantami secured 2,054 votes in the direct primary conducted on Tuesday across the 11 local government areas of the state.
His challengers, Khamisu Ahmed Mailantarki and Usman Aliyu Garry, polled 389 and 112 votes respectively. The results were announced by the Chairman of the PDP Governorship Primary Rerun Committee, Johnbull Shekarau.
The fresh exercise followed a September 24 judgment of the Federal High Court in Gombe, which nullified the earlier primary that produced Pantami and directed the PDP to conduct another exercise within 30 days.
Justice Amina Aliyu Mohammed held that the earlier process did not comply with the party’s internal regulations and applicable provisions of the Electoral Act 2026. The case was instituted by PDP aspirants Mailantarki and Garry, who challenged the process through which Pantami emerged.
Pantami had initially emerged as the party’s candidate through voice affirmation at the PDP governorship primary in May, after joining the party following his withdrawal from the APC governorship race.
Following the court judgment, the PDP fixed September 29 for the fresh primary and cleared Pantami, Mailantarki and Garry to contest.
The court had also declined requests seeking to prevent Pantami from continuing as a PDP member or contesting the fresh primary. Its order was for a new primary conducted in accordance with the party’s rules and relevant electoral laws.
With Tuesday’s result, Pantami has now secured the PDP ticket through the fresh process and will represent the party in the 2027 Gombe governorship election, subject to any further legal challenge.
The rerun brings a fresh chapter to the dispute over the PDP ticket, which began after Pantami’s initial emergence was challenged by fellow aspirants.
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