The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Gombe State has announced that it will hold a fresh governorship primary election on September 29, 2026. This decision comes after a Federal High Court ruling on September 24, 2026, nullified the original primary election held on May 26, 2026, and ordered a fresh contest within 30 days. The court ruling was in response to a legal suit filed by one of the aspirants.
The PDP’s publicity secretary in Gombe State, Muhammad Dukku, made the announcement on September 25, 2026. In a statement, Dukku informed all card-carrying members of the party that they will assemble at their respective Ward areas to vote for an aspirant of their choice on September 29. The party urged all members, supporters, and well-wishers to cooperate and conduct themselves in an orderly manner during the exercise.
Three major aspirants are expected to contest the rescheduled primary election: former Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Isa Pantami, Hamisu Mailantarki, and Usman Garry. Mr. Pantami’s emergence as the PDP flagbearer had stirred intense controversy across both the APC and PDP in the state. He originally ran for the ticket of the ruling APC but defected to the opposition PDP after the party named another candidate as a consensus choice.
Mr. Pantami’s defection to the PDP was met with strong pushback from long-standing party members and rival aspirants, who viewed his fast-tracked adoption via “voice affirmation” as an undemocratic process. They argued that this process was designed to bypass a real election and disenfranchise aspirants who had remained loyal to the PDP. Mr. Garry’s legal suit, which led to the court ruling, hinged on the argument that voice affirmation without a formal, open delegate vote violated both the PDP’s internal guidelines and the Electoral Act.
The court agreed with Mr. Garry’s argument, ruling that political parties cannot bypass formal voting procedures to hand-pick high-profile defectors. This ruling led to the nullification of the original primary election and the order for a fresh contest. The PDP has now fixed September 29, 2026, for the new primary election, which will be conducted in accordance with the party’s internal guidelines and the Electoral Act.
The rescheduled primary election is expected to be a crucial event in the PDP’s preparations for the upcoming governorship election in Gombe State. The party has called on all its members, supporters, and well-wishers to give the exercise their maximum cooperation and conduct themselves in an orderly manner. The outcome of the primary election will determine the PDP’s candidate for the governorship election.
The development is also significant in the context of the ongoing political activities in Gombe State, where the PDP and other parties are preparing for the upcoming elections. The party’s decision to reschedule the primary election has provided a fresh opportunity for aspirants to contest for the ticket and for members to participate in the democratic process.
Key points
- The PDP in Gombe State has fixed September 29, 2026, for a fresh governorship primary election.
- The rescheduled primary election follows a court ruling that nullified the original primary election and ordered a fresh contest within 30 days.
- Three major aspirants, including Isa Pantami, Hamisu Mailantarki, and Usman Garry, are expected to contest the primary election.
