Khamisu Ahmed Mailantarki has rejected the outcome of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship primary rerun in Gombe State, disputing the eligibility of former Communications and Digital Economy Minister, Isa Ali Pantami, to participate in the contest.
Pantami emerged as the winner of the fresh primary held across the 11 local government areas of the state on Tuesday, polling 2,054 votes.
Mailantarki finished second with 389 votes, while Usman Aliyu Garry came third with 112 votes. The results were announced by the Johnbull Shekarau-led electoral committee at the PDP state secretariat in Gombe.
But speaking to journalists after the results were declared, Mailantarki argued that Pantami should not have been allowed to contest the rerun.
He based his position on his interpretation of a recent Supreme Court judgment concerning provisions of the Electoral Act, insisting that the ruling affected Pantami’s eligibility.
Mailantarki further argued that, having emerged as the second-highest vote-getter, he should be recognised as the PDP’s governorship candidate.
He said, “Therefore, having come second in the election, and going by the Supreme Court judgment which declared Pantami not eligible to contest the election, I believe that I am the winner of this primary election conducted today by our party.”
The aspirant also questioned the circumstances surrounding Pantami’s participation in the party’s earlier primary process.
According to Mailantarki, Pantami was still a member of the All Progressives Congress (APC) when the PDP screening committee cleared the aspirants for the primary originally scheduled for May 26.
He maintained that the rerun should have been contested only by himself and Garry.
Mailantarki said he was prepared to challenge the outcome through the courts, including pursuing the matter to the Supreme Court if necessary.
“I am ready to go to court, even if it means going to the Supreme Court, to reclaim my victory at the just-concluded primary election,” he said.
His position sets the stage for another legal battle over the PDP’s Gombe governorship ticket after the party’s first primary was already nullified by a Federal High Court.
Justice Amina Aliyu Mohammed of the Federal High Court in Gombe had, on September 24, voided the earlier primary that produced Pantami and ordered the PDP to conduct a fresh exercise within 30 days. The case followed challenges filed by Mailantarki and Garry over the process that produced Pantami as the party’s candidate.
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The court found that the earlier process did not comply with the PDP’s internal procedures and applicable electoral provisions, prompting the party to schedule the September 29 rerun.
PDP had cleared Pantami for rerun
Ahead of Tuesday’s exercise, the Gombe PDP had cleared Pantami, Mailantarki and Garry to participate in the fresh primary.
The party’s State Publicity Secretary, Abdulkadir Ahmed Dukku, said the rerun was being conducted in compliance with the Federal High Court judgment.
The PDP had also disputed claims that a Supreme Court judgment barred Pantami from participating, saying it was not aware of any such ruling preventing the former minister from contesting the fresh primary.