For the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Gombe State, the road to the 2027 governorship election has suddenly taken a fresh turn.
What appeared to be a settled contest has been reopened, forcing the party back to the drawing board after a Federal High Court nullified the process that produced former Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Professor Isa Ali Pantami, as its governorship candidate.
The PDP has now fixed Tuesday, September 29, 2026, for a fresh governorship primary, barely days after the court ordered the party to repeat the exercise.
The development effectively throws the party’s governorship ticket back into contention, with Pantami cleared to participate alongside Khamisu Ahmed Mailantarki and Usman Aliyu Garry.
Pantami had emerged as the PDP’s governorship candidate after joining the party following his unsuccessful bid for the governorship ticket of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
He was subsequently affirmed through a voice vote during the PDP’s governorship primary in May and later presented as the party’s candidate.
But the process soon ran into legal trouble.
Garry challenged Pantami’s emergence in court, arguing that the procedure through which the former minister became the party’s candidate did not amount to a valid primary conducted in line with the party’s rules and applicable electoral requirements.
On Thursday, September 24, Federal High Court in Gombe ruled that the earlier process could not stand and directed the PDP to conduct a fresh governorship primary. The court also barred Pantami from continuing to present himself as the party’s governorship candidate on the strength of the annulled process.
The ruling changed the political equation almost overnight.
Rather than prolong the legal battle, the PDP has moved to comply with the court order.
The party’s Gombe State Publicity Secretary, Abdulkadir Ahmed Dukku, announced that the fresh primary would take place on September 29.
The party also confirmed that Pantami, Mailantarki and Garry had successfully completed the clearance process and would be eligible to participate.
The decision means the three aspirants will once again have an opportunity to seek the PDP ticket as the party attempts to produce a candidate through a fresh process.
The latest development adds another chapter to what has already been a closely watched governorship contest within the Gombe PDP.
Pantami’s entry into the party had significantly altered the political landscape after the former minister left the APC following the emergence of Jamilu Gwamna as the APC’s consensus candidate.
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His subsequent emergence as the PDP’s candidate through voice affirmation, however, triggered objections from other aspirants and eventually led to litigation.
With the court now ordering a fresh exercise, the PDP must once again navigate the competing interests of its aspirants while ensuring that the new process complies with its constitution, guidelines and applicable electoral laws.
For Pantami, the September 29 primary presents another opportunity to seek the PDP ticket after the court invalidated the earlier process.
For his challengers, it creates a new contest in which the party’s governorship flag will once again be up for grabs.
The PDP says it has accepted the court’s decision and will comply with the judgment while reviewing its legal implications.
All eyes will now turn to September 29, when the party’s delegates are expected to participate in the fresh exercise and determine who will emerge as the PDP’s governorship candidate for Gombe State.