A Federal High Court in Gombe State has ordered the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to conduct a fresh governorship primary election in the state.
Justice Amina Aliyu Mohammed delivered the ruling on Thursday in a suit filed by PDP governorship aspirant Usman Aliyu Garry, who challenged the process that produced Pantami as the party’s candidate.
Garry challenged Pantami’s emergence after the party declared him its sole candidate on June 26, 2026. He argued that the party had not conducted the required governorship primary election.
Garry challenged the process and asked the court to determine whether Pantami’s emergence complied with the law and PDP regulations.
Pantami and the PDP opposed the suit. While the PDP urged the court to dismiss the case, Pantami’s lawyer argued that his client had resigned from the APC on May 19, 2026, before contesting the PDP primary.
Following the approval of final written addresses and arguments by the parties’ attorneys, the court postponed making a ruling until July.
Backstory…
Pantami, who had previously sought the governorship ticket of the All Progressives Congress (APC), defected to the PDP after the APC selected Jamilu Gwamna as its consensus candidate in Gombe.
He subsequently emerged as the PDP’s candidate in the party’s May 26 governorship primary. Pantami then used voice affirmation to win the PDP ticket in the party’s May governorship primary.
The court had adjourned the matter until July after the parties’ lawyers adopted their final written addresses and arguments.
However, the court ordered the PDP to hold a new primary election in Gombe State in compliance with the party’s policies and applicable electoral laws in its ruling on Thursday.
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