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By Our Correspondent
The Federal High Court sitting in Gombe has nullified the emergence of Professor Isa Ali Ibrahim Pantami as the Peoples Democratic Party’s governorship candidate in Gombe State and ordered the party to conduct a fresh primary election.
The court, presided over by Justice Amina Aliyu Mohammed, gave the order on Thursday in a suit filed by PDP governorship aspirant Usman Aliyu Garry challenging the process that produced Pantami as the party’s candidate.
Garry had challenged Pantami’s emergence, arguing that the process did not comply with the party’s rules and relevant electoral requirements. Earlier reports on the proceedings confirm that Garry asked the court to invalidate Pantami’s nomination, while Pantami and the PDP maintained that his emergence complied with the law and the party’s procedures.
In its judgment on Thursday, the court nullified Pantami’s emergence and directed the PDP to conduct a fresh governorship primary in accordance with its guidelines and relevant electoral laws.
Pantami, a former Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, had joined the PDP after withdrawing from the All Progressives Congress governorship contest amid disagreement over the process that produced Jamilu Gwamna as the APC candidate.
He subsequently emerged as the PDP governorship candidate through voice affirmation at the party’s primary on May 26, after being presented as the sole aspirant.
His emergence generated opposition from some PDP governorship aspirants, including Garry, Abdulkadir Hamma Saleh, Khamisu Ahmed Mailantarki and Monica Kaltho, who had objected to Pantami entering the PDP governorship contest shortly after leaving the APC.
Garry subsequently approached the Federal High Court to challenge Pantami’s candidacy.
During earlier proceedings, Garry’s counsel urged the court to grant the reliefs sought by his client, while Pantami’s legal team asked that the suit be dismissed, maintaining that his emergence complied with the law and PDP procedures. Justice Mohammed thereafter reserved judgment.
Thursday’s judgment now requires the PDP to conduct another governorship primary to determine its candidate for the 2027 Gombe State governorship election.
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