By Abubakar Rabilu Gombe
Khamisu Ahmed Mailantarki, a governorship aspirant of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Gombe State, has declared himself the winner of Tuesday’s fresh governorship primary, despite the party’s announcement of Professor Isa Ali Ibrahim Pantami as the winner.
The primary, conducted following a Federal High Court judgment that nullified the earlier exercise, saw Pantami declared winner with 2,555 votes.
Mailantarki came second with 389 votes, while another aspirant, Usman Aliyu Garry, polled 112 votes.
However, Mailantarki rejected the result, insisting that Pantami should not have been allowed to participate in the fresh primary.
Speaking on the outcome, Mailantarki said he would challenge the result in court, maintaining that the process should have excluded Pantami.
The Federal High Court, in its judgment delivered on September 24, had nullified the process that produced Pantami as the party’s candidate and ordered the PDP to conduct a fresh primary within 30 days.
The court, however, did not expressly bar Pantami from contesting the fresh primary.
Mailantarki nevertheless argued that issues surrounding Pantami’s eligibility remained unresolved and formed part of the basis for his decision to challenge the outcome.
He said while the fresh primary was conducted according to the laid-down procedure, the inclusion of Pantami in the contest rendered the outcome unacceptable to him.
Mailantarki also commended the PDP leadership in Gombe State, particularly former governor and senator, Ibrahim Hassan Dankwambo, for what he described as efforts to ensure fairness and adherence to due process within the party.
The fresh primary was held on Tuesday, September 29, after the PDP cleared Pantami, Mailantarki and Garry to contest.
With Mailantarki declaring himself the winner and vowing to seek judicial redress, the controversy surrounding the PDP governorship ticket in Gombe State is expected to continue.
