Supporters of former Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Professor Isa Ali Ibrahim Pantami, have expressed confidence that he remains eligible to contest the 2027 Gombe State governorship election on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). This stance comes after two significant court judgments on Thursday, which have sparked varied interpretations about Pantami's eligibility.
The Supreme Court recently restored key provisions of the Electoral Act 2026, relating to party membership registers and candidate nominations. In a separate ruling, the Federal High Court in Gombe nullified the PDP primary that produced Pantami and ordered the party to conduct a fresh governorship primary. Despite this, Pantami's supporters, through the Pantamiyya Movement, have maintained that the Federal High Court judgment does not disqualify him from participating in another PDP primary.
The Pantamiyya Movement, in a statement signed by its spokesperson, Ibrahim M. Alfathir, urged its members and supporters to remain calm and law-abiding pending the fresh primary. The group emphasized that Pantami would participate in the new exercise as directed by the court. This development follows Pantami’s transition from the All Progressives Congress (APC) to the PDP, where he initially pursued the APC governorship ticket but later resigned and joined the PDP.
The Federal High Court, while nullifying the previous primary, did not bar Pantami from participating in a fresh contest. Additionally, the court did not invalidate his PDP membership based on his previous APC affiliation. The PDP has since scheduled a fresh Gombe governorship primary for Tuesday, September 29, 2026, and cleared Pantami, Khamisu Ahmed Mailantarki, and Usman Aliyu Garry to participate.
According to the PDP, the Supreme Court’s latest decision does not affect Pantami’s eligibility for the rescheduled primary. Supporters of Pantami, including Abdullahi Mohammed and Suwaiba Musa, believe that neither the Federal High Court judgment nor the Supreme Court ruling has ended his ambition to seek the Gombe State governorship. They assert that Pantami remains eligible to participate in the fresh PDP contest.
Barrister Attahir, a spokesperson for Pantami, confirmed their readiness to participate in a fresh PDP primary after both court rulings. He rejected claims that Pantami had been excluded or disqualified from contesting. Attahir urged Pantami’s supporters to remain calm and law-abiding, while directing them not to continue portraying Pantami as the PDP candidate pending the fresh primary ordered by the court.
The latest Supreme Court judgment on Nigeria’s electoral laws restored Sections 77(5), 77(6), 77(7), and 84(2) of the Electoral Act 2026, which deal principally with political party membership registers and candidate nominations. With the fresh primary scheduled, Pantami's supporters are optimistic about his chances, maintaining that the court judgments do not hinder his eligibility to contest the 2027 Gombe State governorship election.
Key points
- Pantami's supporters insist he remains eligible to contest the 2027 Gombe State governorship election.
- The Federal High Court nullified the previous PDP primary but did not bar Pantami from participating in a fresh contest.
- The PDP has scheduled a fresh Gombe governorship primary for September 29, 2026.
