The Peoples Democratic Party has fixed September 29, 2026, for a fresh governorship primary election in Gombe State following a Federal High Court order nullifying the party’s earlier exercise.
The new date was announced by the PDP Gombe State Publicity Secretary, Muhammad Dukku, in a statement issued following the judgment delivered by the Federal High Court in Gombe on September 24, 2026.
The court had nullified the governorship primary conducted by the party on May 26, 2026, and ordered the PDP to conduct a fresh exercise within 30 days.
The development effectively reopens the contest for the party’s governorship ticket, with major aspirants expected to participate in the new primary as the party seeks to produce its candidate for the 2027 election.
In its announcement, the PDP said the fresh primary would hold on Tuesday, September 29, 2026, and called on its members to participate in the exercise.
“The Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP), Gombe State, wishes to inform all its card-carrying members that there will be a Gubernatorial repeat Primary Election on Tuesday, 29 September, 2026,” the statement said.
The party further directed eligible members to assemble at their respective wards to vote for their preferred aspirants.
“The PDP calls on all its members, supporters and well-wishers to give the exercise their maximum cooperation and conduct themselves in an orderly manner,” the party added.
The fresh primary follows weeks of controversy over the process through which former Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Professor Isa Ali Ibrahim Pantami, emerged as the party’s governorship candidate.
Pantami had emerged from the May 26 primary, but his emergence was challenged by other aspirants who questioned the validity of the process and his eligibility to participate in the exercise.
One of the legal challenges was filed by PDP governorship aspirant Khamisu Mailantarki, who challenged the validity of the process that produced Pantami.
Mailantarki argued that Pantami was not a registered member of the PDP at the time the primary was conducted and was therefore not qualified to participate in the exercise.
The court’s decision subsequently nullified the earlier primary and directed the PDP to return to the nomination process by conducting another governorship primary.
Three major aspirants, including Pantami, Hamisu Mailantarki and Usman Garry, are expected to participate in the fresh contest.
Pantami’s entry into the PDP had followed his departure from the All Progressives Congress, where he had initially sought the governorship ticket ahead of the 2027 election.
The former minister’s movement into the opposition party came after the APC adopted Jamilu Isyaku Gwamna as its consensus governorship candidate.
Pantami subsequently joined the PDP and entered the contest for the party’s governorship ticket.
His emergence during the May primary, however, generated opposition from some longstanding PDP members and rival aspirants, who questioned the procedure adopted by the party.
The controversy particularly centred on the process used to affirm or select Pantami as the party’s candidate, with rival aspirants challenging whether the exercise complied with the party’s internal guidelines and relevant electoral requirements.
Garry and Mailantarki were among those who opposed the process, with the dispute eventually becoming the subject of litigation before the Federal High Court.
The court’s decision has now returned the nomination contest to the party, requiring the PDP to conduct another primary within the period stipulated by the judgment.
The September 29 exercise will therefore provide another opportunity for the aspirants to seek the party’s ticket and for eligible party members to participate in the selection of the candidate.
For Pantami, the fresh primary means that his earlier emergence no longer guarantees him the PDP ticket, while Mailantarki, Garry and other eligible aspirants will have another opportunity to contest for the nomination.
The party is also expected to ensure that the new exercise complies with the court’s directive and relevant provisions governing the conduct of party primaries.
The PDP’s announcement comes as political parties in Gombe intensify preparations for the 2027 governorship election, with candidate selection, party organisation and internal reconciliation becoming increasingly important.
The fresh primary will also be closely watched by members and supporters of the party following the legal dispute that invalidated the earlier exercise.
The outcome is expected to determine who will eventually carry the PDP flag in the 2027 governorship election, subject to any further legal proceedings arising from the fresh nomination process.
The party urged members, supporters and other stakeholders to cooperate with the exercise and conduct themselves peacefully and orderly.
The September 29 date also gives the PDP a defined timetable for resolving the immediate uncertainty surrounding its governorship ticket following the court judgment.
West Trybe reports that the fresh PDP governorship primary will reopen the nomination contest in Gombe after the Federal High Court nullified the May 26 exercise. The new process places Pantami, Mailantarki, Garry and other eligible aspirants back in contention and gives the party an opportunity to produce a candidate through a fresh exercise ahead of the 2027 governorship election.
