2027 elections: Former minister loses governorship ticket

The Federal High Court sitting in Gombe has nullified the nomination of former Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Isa Pantami, as the Peoples Democratic Party’s governorship candidate for the 2027 election in Gombe State.

The court also ordered the PDP to conduct a fresh governorship primary in accordance with the party’s constitution and relevant electoral laws.

Justice Amina Mohammed delivered the judgment on Thursday following a suit filed by one of the party’s governorship aspirants, Usman Garry, who challenged the process that produced Pantami as the party’s candidate.

Court faults PDP’s primary process

Garry had argued that the PDP failed to conduct a valid governorship primary before declaring Pantami its candidate on June 26.

Pantami, who initially sought the governorship ticket of the ruling All Progressives Congress, defected to the PDP after the APC adopted Jamilu Gwamna as its consensus candidate.

He subsequently secured the PDP ticket through a voice affirmation, a process that was challenged in court by rival aspirants.

In her judgment, Justice Mohammed set aside Pantami’s nomination and barred him from presenting himself as the PDP’s candidate for the 2027 governorship election in the state.

The judge also directed the PDP to conduct a fresh and lawful governorship primary in line with its constitution and applicable electoral laws.

Pantami’s emergence generated controversy

Pantami’s emergence as the PDP governorship candidate had generated controversy among members of the party and political actors in Gombe State.

The former minister was previously a prominent aspirant within the APC but left the party after its leadership settled for Gwamna as its consensus candidate.

His subsequent move to the PDP and emergence through voice affirmation reportedly drew opposition from some long-standing members and other governorship aspirants, including Garry and Khamisu Mailantarki.

The challengers argued that the process did not provide for a formal vote by delegates and amounted to bypassing the party’s established procedures for selecting its candidate.

Garry subsequently approached the court, arguing that the process violated the PDP’s internal guidelines and provisions of the Electoral Act.

The court’s decision has now nullified Pantami’s nomination and directed the opposition party to return to the primary process and select its candidate through a fresh exercise.