By Abubakar Rabilu Gombe
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Gombe State has confirmed Professor Isa Ali Ibrahim Pantami, Usman Aliyu Garry and Khamisu Ahmed Mailantarki as the three aspirants cleared to participate in the party’s fresh governorship primary scheduled for Tuesday, September 29.
The party’s State Publicity Secretary, Abdulkadir Ahmed Dukku, confirmed this in a telephone interview with our correspondent on Monday.
Dukku said the fresh primary would be conducted in compliance with the judgment of the Federal High Court sitting in Gombe, which nullified the earlier primary that produced Pantami as the party’s governorship candidate.
He said the party was fully prepared for the exercise and would abide by the court’s directive.
“We will conduct the fresh primary in accordance with the judgment of the Federal High Court,” Dukku said.
Dukku also dismissed reports that Pantami had been barred from participating in the fresh primary, saying the party was not aware of any Supreme Court judgment preventing the former minister from contesting.
He further confirmed that Garry and Mailantarki had also been cleared to participate in Tuesday’s exercise.
The development followed the September 24 judgment of the Federal High Court in Gombe, which nullified the PDP governorship primary that produced Pantami and ordered the party to conduct a fresh primary within 30 days.
The judgment followed a legal challenge to the process through which Pantami emerged as the party’s candidate for the 2027 governorship election.
Following the ruling, the Gombe PDP fixed Tuesday, September 29, for the fresh primary and directed eligible delegates to assemble at their respective ward areas to participate in the exercise.
The party had earlier said it received the judgment in good faith and would comply with the court’s directive.
The fresh primary is expected to determine the PDP’s candidate for the 2027 Gombe State governorship election, with Pantami, Garry and Mailantarki set to participate in the contest.
