The Peoples Democratic Party in Gombe State is scrambling to hold a fresh governorship primary after a Federal High Court struck down the result of its earlier exercise and ordered a rerun within one month. The rescheduled vote is set for Tuesday, 29 September 2026, and three aspirants have been cleared to contest.
How It Began: The May 2026 Primary
The trouble traces back to May 2026, when Gombe PDP conducted its governorship primary and produced a result that would later be challenged in court. Prof. Isa Ali Pantami, a former federal minister and one of the party’s most prominent figures in the state, emerged from that exercise as the candidate. Almost immediately, the outcome attracted legal scrutiny.
A petition was filed before the Federal High Court sitting in Gombe, questioning the validity of the primary. The court took up the matter and, by Thursday, 25 September, delivered its verdict — nullifying the earlier primary in its entirety and directing the party to conduct a fresh one within thirty days.
The Court Order and the Party’s Response
The ruling landed squarely on the PDP’s desk with little room for delay. Within hours, the party’s State Publicity Secretary, Abdulkadir Ahmed Dukku, issued a statement confirming that the repeat primary would take place on Tuesday, 29 September 2026. The turnaround was swift, suggesting the party had anticipated the possibility of an adverse judgment.
Dukku’s statement called on all card-carrying PDP members to assemble at their respective ward locations on the appointed day to cast their votes. “All eligible voters are expected to assemble at their respective ward areas to vote an aspirant of their choice,” he said, signalling that the party intended to run a ward-level exercise rather than a delegate-based one.
Three Aspirants Cleared
The party confirmed that three aspirants had been cleared to participate in the rescheduled primary: Prof. Isa Ali Pantami, Khamisu Ahmed Mailantarki and Usman Aliyu Garry. The clearance of all three suggests the party chose not to use the rerun as an opportunity to thin the field before voting day.
Notably, Pantami’s inclusion was not a foregone conclusion. A Supreme Court verdict delivered by Justice Adamu Jauro on the same day as the Federal High Court ruling had raised questions about his status. The PDP moved quickly to address that uncertainty, insisting that the Supreme Court judgment did not bar Pantami from contesting in the fresh primary.
Pantami’s Eligibility: The Party’s Position
Dukku addressed the Supreme Court ruling directly, drawing a clear line between what that judgment said and what it did not say. According to the party, the Federal High Court ruling had in fact validated Pantami’s PDP membership and confirmed his participation in the May primary as legitimate — a point the PDP said it welcomed.
The party acknowledged, however, that its leadership and the aspirants were still working through the full legal implications of both rulings. “While the legal implications and directives contained in the judgment are being studied, we urge all members, supporters and stakeholders of our great party in Gombe State to remain calm, peaceful and united,” Dukku said.
A Call for Calm Amid Legal Uncertainty
The party’s tone throughout was measured, perhaps deliberately so. Dukku urged members to avoid speculation and inflammatory statements, warning that loose talk could stir up tension at a moment when the party needed to project unity. The PDP said it would take all necessary steps within the law to protect its interests and preserve its democratic integrity.
With the primary just days away from the court order, Gombe PDP faces the challenge of organising a credible exercise under tight time pressure — and under the scrutiny of a legal environment that has already overturned one of its decisions. How the 29 September vote unfolds, and whether its result survives further legal challenge, will go a long way towards determining the party’s fortunes ahead of the 2027 governorship election in Gombe State.