Pantami wins fresh PDP governorship primary in Gombe

Former Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Isa Ali Ibrahim Pantami, has won the Peoples Democratic Party’s fresh governorship primary election in Gombe State, securing the party’s ticket for the 2027 election.

Pantami polled 817 votes to defeat Khamisu Mailantarki, who scored 153 votes, and Aliyu Usman Garry, who secured 50 votes in the rerun primary conducted across the state’s 11 local government areas on Tuesday.

The fresh exercise followed a September 24 judgment of the Federal High Court in Gombe, which nullified Pantami’s earlier emergence as the PDP governorship candidate and ordered the party to conduct another primary in line with its constitution, guidelines and relevant electoral laws.

The judgment, delivered by Justice Amina Aliyu Mohammed, followed a suit filed by Garry, a PDP governorship aspirant, who challenged the process through which Pantami emerged as the party’s candidate.

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The PDP subsequently fixed September 29 for the fresh primary, directing eligible delegates to participate in the exercise at their respective wards.

Pantami had initially emerged as the PDP’s governorship candidate through voice affirmation at the party’s May primary. His emergence was later challenged in court over the validity of the process.

Before joining the PDP, Pantami had contested for the governorship ticket of the All Progressives Congress. He withdrew from the APC primary scheduled for May, citing alleged breaches of the electoral process, before subsequently joining the PDP.

With Tuesday’s result, Pantami has now secured the PDP ticket through a fresh delegate vote following the court-ordered rerun.