The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Gombe State is set to conduct a fresh governorship primary today, September 29, 2026, with three aspirants cleared to participate. The aspirants are former Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Professor Isa Ali Ibrahim Pantami, Usman Aliyu Garry, and Khamisu Ahmed Mailantarki. This follows a Federal High Court judgment on September 24, 2026, which nullified the earlier PDP governorship primary that produced Pantami and directed the party to conduct another primary within 30 days.
The State Publicity Secretary of the faction, Abdulkadir Ahmed Dukku, confirmed that preparations had been completed for the fresh exercise. Dukku stated that the primary would be conducted in accordance with the court judgment and the relevant rules of the party. The party had earlier announced September 29 as the date for the repeat primary and directed eligible members and delegates to assemble at their respective ward areas to participate in the exercise.
The fresh contest has reopened the battle for the PDP governorship ticket in Gombe after Pantami’s earlier emergence was set aside by the court. Pantami had emerged from the party’s May 26 primary through a voice affirmation after joining the PDP following his withdrawal from the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship race. His emergence was subsequently challenged by rival aspirants, including Garry and Mailantarki, who questioned the procedure used by the party to produce him as its candidate.
One of the aspirants, Usman Aliyu Garry, has opposed Pantami’s participation in the fresh contest. Garry argued that the fresh primary should be limited to aspirants who met the relevant requirements within the stipulated period. He recalled that a screening committee led by former Kaduna State Governor, Senator Ahmed Makarfi, had screened the party’s governorship aspirants before the earlier primary. Garry claimed that some aspirants were prevented from taking part in the previous exercise, leading to the legal action that eventually resulted in the court-ordered rerun.
Garry’s argument centres on the timing of Pantami’s entry into the PDP. He maintained that the former minister joined the party after the list of governorship aspirants had already been submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). Garry said he and other aspirants had written to the PDP leadership and INEC, asking that Pantami be prevented from participating in the fresh primary. However, the Federal High Court judgment itself did not permanently disqualify Pantami.
Another aspirant, Khamisu Ahmed Mailantarki, has taken a different position ahead of the fresh contest. Mailantarki called for calm among PDP members and supporters across the state’s 11 local government areas and 114 wards. He also urged the party leadership to ensure a transparent process and provide equal opportunity for all the aspirants. Mailantarki said the court judgment had addressed concerns he and others had raised over the previous primary.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has confirmed that it will monitor the fresh PDP governorship primary. The commission’s Public Relations Officer in Gombe, Mohorret Bigun, confirmed that the state office had received communication from the commission’s national headquarters regarding the exercise. The fresh primary is a crucial step in the process to determine the PDP’s governorship candidate for the 2027 elections in Gombe State.
Key points
- The PDP will conduct a fresh governorship primary in Gombe State today, with three aspirants cleared to participate.
- The aspirants are former Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Professor Isa Ali Ibrahim Pantami, Usman Aliyu Garry, and Khamisu Ahmed Mailantarki.
- The fresh primary follows a Federal High Court judgment that nullified the earlier PDP governorship primary that produced Pantami.
