PDP Clears Pantami, Garry and Mailantarki for Fresh Gombe Governorship Primary

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Gombe State has cleared Professor Isa Ali Pantami, Usman Aliyu Garry and Khamisu Ahmed Mailantarki to contest its fresh governorship primary scheduled for Tuesday, September 29, ahead of the 2027 governorship election.

The party’s State Publicity Secretary, Abdulkadir Ahmed Dukku, confirmed the development in a telephone interview with our correspondent. He said the exercise would be conducted in line with a recent judgment of the Federal High Court in Gombe.

Dukku said the party was prepared to hold the fresh primary and would comply with the court’s directive to conduct another exercise. He maintained that the party would follow the ruling as it works towards selecting its candidate for the next governorship election.

“We will conduct the fresh primary in accordance with the judgment of the Federal High Court,” Dukku said.

The PDP spokesperson also dismissed claims that Pantami had been barred from participating in the fresh primary. He said the party was not aware of any Supreme Court judgment preventing the former minister from contesting. Dukku added that Garry and Mailantarki had also been cleared to participate.

The development follows a September 24 judgment by the Federal High Court in Gombe, which nullified the process that produced Pantami as the PDP’s governorship candidate and ordered the party to conduct a fresh primary within 30 days.

The court ruling came after legal challenges to the process through which Pantami emerged as the party’s candidate for the 2027 Gombe State governorship election.

Following the judgment, the Gombe PDP fixed September 29 for the fresh primary and directed eligible delegates to assemble at their respective ward areas to participate. With Pantami, Garry and Mailantarki cleared, the three aspirants are expected to contest the primary as the party seeks to select its candidate for the 2027 election.