By Abubakar Rabilu, Gombe
Two governorship aspirants of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Gombe State, Usman Aliyu Garry and Khamisu Ahmed Mailantarki, have opposed the participation of Professor Isa Ali Ibrahim Pantami in the party’s fresh governorship primary scheduled for Tuesday.
Garry, who is challenging the earlier primary that produced Pantami as the party’s candidate, said he was ready to participate in the rerun but insisted that Pantami should not be allowed to contest.
He said the fresh primary should involve eligible aspirants, following the court order that nullified the earlier exercise and directed the PDP to conduct a new primary.
Speaking with our reporter, Garry said a screening committee led by former Kaduna State Governor, Senator Ahmed Makarfi, had earlier screened the party’s governorship aspirants.
He alleged that some aspirants were denied the opportunity to participate in the primary, prompting them to approach the court.
According to him, the court subsequently nullified the earlier primary and ordered the PDP to conduct a fresh governorship primary.
Garry said he and other aspirants had written to the PDP leadership and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), urging them to prevent Pantami from participating in the fresh exercise.
He said their position was based on their interpretation that Pantami’s name was not contained in the list of governorship aspirants submitted by the PDP to INEC on May 10.
“Pantami joined the PDP on May 19, and the court also confirmed that. Therefore, his name was not on the list of the party’s aspirants submitted to INEC. He should not be allowed to participate in the fresh primary,” Garry said.
He urged the PDP and INEC to ensure that the exercise was conducted transparently and in accordance with the court’s judgment.
Garry also called on INEC to closely monitor the primary, maintaining that, in his interpretation of the judgment, Pantami should not participate in the rerun.
He expressed readiness to contest the fresh primary, saying he was confident of securing the party’s ticket if the process was conducted transparently.
Mailantarki expresses confidence
Meanwhile, Khamisu Ahmed Mailantarki has expressed confidence that he would emerge victorious in the rescheduled primary.
Mailantarki said the PDP needed a credible, experienced and widely accepted candidate to challenge the ruling party in the 2027 general election.
The former member of the House of Representatives said he remained prepared to lead the party, citing his experience and grassroots support across the state.
He called on his supporters and PDP members across the 114 wards in the 11 local government areas to remain calm and united ahead of the exercise.
Mailantarki also urged the party leadership to provide a level playing field for all aspirants, stressing that transparency and fairness were necessary to maintain the unity of the party.
He said the court judgment had vindicated his long-standing position that the earlier primary was marred by irregularities and did not reflect the wishes of party members.
He urged all stakeholders to respect the outcome of the fresh primary and ensure that the exercise was conducted in line with the party’s rules and the court’s directives.
