The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has expelled two of its governorship aspirants in Gombe State, Khamisu Mailantarki and Usman Garry, over alleged anti-party activities and a breach of its constitution. This decision was announced by the party's National Publicity Secretary, Jungudo Mohammed, in a statement issued on Monday. The expulsion follows a series of events that began with the PDP's governorship primaries in Gombe State, where Mailantarki and Garry contested but lost to Isa Pantami, a former minister of Communications and Digital Economy.
The PDP conducted two governorship primaries in Gombe State after a court nullified its first exercise, which had produced Mr. Pantami as its candidate for the 2027 election. The first primary was held on 26 May, with Mr. Pantami emerging as the party's candidate through voice affirmation after he defected from the All Progressives Congress (APC). However, his emergence was challenged by other aspirants, particularly Mailantarki and Garry, who argued that the process was irregular and excluded eligible contestants.
On 24 September, the Federal High Court in Gombe, presided over by Justice Amina Mohammed, nullified the primary and ordered the party to conduct another election within 30 days. The court found that the exercise did not comply with the party's internal rules and relevant electoral laws, particularly because some screened aspirants were excluded from the process. Despite this, the court did not disqualify Mr. Pantami from the PDP or invalidate his party membership.
The rerun was held on 29 September across the state's 11 local government areas, with Mr. Pantami again declared the winner after securing the most votes. Both Mailantarki and Garry rejected aspects of the rerun, although they raised different objections. Mailantarki challenged Mr. Pantami's eligibility to participate, arguing that he joined the PDP after the party had submitted its list of aspirants to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
Garry, on the other hand, alleged irregularities in the exercise in his area, claiming he was prevented from voting and that only five votes from his supporters were counted after he insisted that voting should take place. For rejecting the outcome, the Gombe PDP suspended both aspirants for one month over alleged anti-party activities and referred them to the party's disciplinary committee.
The party's disciplinary committee found Mailantarki and Garry guilty of anti-party activities, leading to their expulsion. According to Mohammed, the decision was taken in compliance with the principles of fair hearing as provided for in the party's constitution and the Nigerian Constitution. The expelled members cease to be members of the PDP and shall have no rights, privileges, or affiliation with the Party at any level.
The PDP spokesperson urged members to refrain from activities that could undermine the party. "The Party reiterates that its Constitution remains supreme and binding on all members. No member, regardless of status, is above the party's laws and disciplinary framework," Mohammed said. Meanwhile, Garry is still challenging Mr. Pantami's candidacy in court, seeking to join an ongoing suit filed by Mr. Pantami and the PDP against INEC.
Key points
- The PDP expelled Khamisu Mailantarki and Usman Garry for anti-party activities and breaching the party's constitution.
- The expulsion follows a series of disputes over the PDP's governorship primaries in Gombe State, which was won by Isa Pantami.
- The party's disciplinary committee found the two aspirants guilty of anti-party activities, leading to their expulsion.
