Former Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Isa Ali Pantami, has been declared the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate for Gombe State in the 2027 election. This follows a fresh primary conducted across the 11 local government areas of the state, where Pantami secured 2,054 votes. The primary was ordered by a Federal High Court judgment that nullified his earlier emergence as the PDP candidate.
The court judgment, delivered by Justice Amina Aliyu on September 24, ordered the PDP to hold another primary within 30 days. The judgment nullified Pantami's earlier emergence due to non-compliance with the party's internal regulations and relevant provisions of the Electoral Act 2026. The case was initiated by PDP governorship aspirants Khamisu Mailantarki and Aliyu Usman Garry, who questioned the process through which Pantami emerged at the party's May 26 primary.
In the fresh primary, Pantami's challengers, Khamisu Mailantarki and Aliyu Usman Garry, polled 389 and 112 votes respectively. The results were collated and announced at the PDP state secretariat in Gombe by the Chairman of the Governorship Primary Rerun Committee, Johnbull Shekarau. Pantami was declared the winner, securing the PDP ticket for the 2027 Gombe State governorship election.
The PDP had cleared Pantami, Mailantarki, and Garry to participate in the fresh primary. The court also declined a request seeking Pantami's disqualification or removal from the PDP over an allegation that he remained a card-carrying member of the All Progressives Congress (APC) at the time. This development paves the way for Pantami to represent the PDP in the 2027 election.
Pantami had initially been declared the PDP candidate through voice affirmation during the May 26 primary. However, the process was challenged by Mailantarki and Garry, leading to the court judgment that ordered a fresh primary. With the completion of the rerun, Pantami has now secured the PDP ticket again and is set to represent the party in the 2027 Gombe State governorship election.
The emergence of Pantami as the PDP candidate sets the stage for the 2027 Gombe State governorship election. The election is expected to be a significant contest, with Pantami vying for the top seat in the state. The PDP is one of the major parties in Nigeria, and Pantami's emergence as the candidate is expected to have a significant impact on the election.
Pantami's victory in the fresh primary is a significant development in the lead-up to the 2027 election. The former Minister of Communications and Digital Economy will now face other candidates in the election, which is expected to be a closely contested contest. The outcome of the election will have a significant impact on the people of Gombe State.
Key points
- Isa Ali Pantami has emerged as the PDP governorship candidate for Gombe State in the 2027 election, securing 2,054 votes in the fresh primary.
- The Federal High Court had ordered a fresh primary due to non-compliance with the party's internal regulations and relevant provisions of the Electoral Act 2026.
- Pantami's emergence as the PDP candidate sets the stage for a significant contest in the 2027 Gombe State governorship election.
