2027 elections: How Buhari’s man recaptured Gombe PDP governorship ticket

Former Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Prof. Isa Ali Ibrahim Pantami, has emerged as the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate for Gombe State in the 2027 election after winning the party’s repeat primary conducted across the state on Tuesday.

Pantami polled 2,024 votes to defeat former member of the House of Representatives, Ahmed Khamisu Mailantarki, who secured 389 votes, while former member of the Gombe State House of Assembly, Usman Aliyu Garry, scored 112 votes. Blueprint reports

The fresh primary was conducted across 114 political wards in the 11 local government areas of Gombe State following a Federal High Court judgment that nullified Pantami’s earlier emergence and directed the PDP to conduct another governorship primary in accordance with its constitution, guidelines and relevant electoral provisions.

Court order triggers fresh contest

Pantami had initially emerged as the PDP’s governorship candidate after the party’s earlier primary in May, where his emergence was achieved through voice affirmation.

The process was subsequently challenged by Garry, who argued that the procedure did not amount to a valid governorship primary and had failed to comply with the party’s internal guidelines and applicable electoral provisions.

The Federal High Court in Gombe, presided over by Justice Amina Aliyu Mohammed, eventually nullified Pantami’s earlier emergence and ordered the PDP to conduct a fresh primary.

The court’s decision reopened the contest and brought Pantami back into competition with Mailantarki and Garry, with all three aspirants participating in Tuesday’s repeat exercise.

The fresh primary was therefore intended to address the procedural concerns that had led to the nullification of the earlier exercise and provide the party with a new candidate-selection process.

Pantami records decisive victory

At the conclusion of voting and collation, Pantami emerged with a substantial majority of the votes cast across the state.

The result was announced at the Gombe State PDP Secretariat by the Chairman of the Primary Election Committee from the party’s national headquarters in Abuja, Johnbull Shekarau.

Shekarau commended party members and stakeholders for what he described as the peaceful conduct of the exercise.

With the declaration, Pantami has once again secured the PDP ticket for the 2027 governorship election, although the latest outcome remains subject to any further legal or electoral processes that may arise from the exercise.

Contest follows Pantami’s move to PDP

Pantami’s emergence comes after a major political realignment earlier in the year.

The former minister had initially sought the governorship ticket of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in Gombe. However, he withdrew from the party’s primary process after the APC settled on Jamilu Gwamna as its consensus candidate.

Pantami subsequently joined the PDP and entered the opposition party’s governorship contest.

His movement into the PDP generated considerable political attention in Gombe, particularly because of his previous association with the APC and the prominence he had acquired during his tenure as Minister of Communications and Digital Economy.

After joining the PDP, Pantami emerged from the party’s initial governorship process in May, but that victory was later challenged in court.

Legal battle shaped PDP contest

The legal dispute surrounding Pantami’s initial nomination became one of the major issues in the PDP’s governorship contest.

Garry challenged the procedure through which Pantami had emerged, arguing that the party should conduct a formal primary involving the aspirants rather than rely on voice affirmation.

The court ultimately agreed that a fresh primary should be conducted, thereby cancelling the earlier process.

There were also legal arguments concerning Pantami’s political membership status. His legal team maintained that he had resigned from the APC before participating in the PDP primary, while the plaintiffs had raised questions about his eligibility.

The court, however, ordered a fresh primary rather than granting the plaintiffs’ request to permanently disqualify Pantami from participating in the contest.

Dankwambo calls for party unity

Following the conclusion of the repeat primary, former Gombe State Governor and Senator representing Gombe North, Ibrahim Hassan Dankwambo, called on members of the PDP to close ranks behind whoever emerged from the exercise.

Dankwambo said the outcome should not create winners and losers within the party, stressing that all members should work together ahead of the general election.

He urged party members to support the candidate produced by the primary, arguing that the ability of the PDP to remain united would be important to its performance in the 2027 election.

His appeal comes after weeks of internal disagreement surrounding the party’s governorship ticket and the legal challenge that resulted in the repeat primary.

What Pantami’s victory means

Pantami’s latest victory returns him to the position of PDP governorship candidate after his first emergence was overturned by the court.

The former minister will now face the wider electoral contest if his nomination survives any subsequent legal challenges and the relevant electoral processes.

His campaign will also unfold against the backdrop of an increasingly competitive political environment in Gombe, where the APC and PDP are expected to intensify their preparations ahead of the 2027 governorship election.

The outcome of the PDP primary also means that Mailantarki and Garry have now lost the fresh contest for the party’s ticket, although both participated in the exercise after the court-ordered rerun.

Pantami begins new phase of campaign

The former minister is now expected to consolidate his position within the PDP and begin preparations for the wider election.

His political programme is likely to focus on issues including governance, economic development, digital transformation, education, employment and public-sector reform.

Pantami has already held engagements with retired senior civil servants and former Heads of Service in Gombe, where discussions reportedly focused on challenges affecting the state civil service and proposals for reform.

The latest primary therefore marks another stage in a political journey that has taken Pantami from the APC to the PDP and through an initial nomination, a court challenge and a fresh primary.

For the PDP, the immediate task will be to manage the outcome of the contest, reconcile the competing interests of the aspirants and prepare for the 2027 governorship election.

For Pantami, Tuesday’s result provides a renewed opportunity to contest for the governorship under the PDP after the court nullified his earlier emergence.

The former minister will now await the completion of the relevant electoral and legal processes before the PDP’s ticket is finally settled for the 2027 Gombe governorship race.