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| Photo credit — Prof Isa Ali Ibrahim |
Former Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Professor Isa Ali Ibrahim Pantami, has emerged the winner of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) gubernatorial primary rerun in Gombe State.
The exercise was conducted on Tuesday, 29 September 2026, across the 11 local government areas of the state. Pantami defeated two other aspirants — former House of Representatives member Khamisu Ahmed Mailantarki and Usman Aliyu Garry.
Official results announced by the party:
• Isa Ali Ibrahim Pantami — 2,054 votes
• Khamisu Ahmed Mailantarki — 389 votes
• Usman Aliyu Garry — 112 votes
• Total accredited/registered voters who participated — 2,555
Pantami secured approximately 80 percent of the votes cast.
The results were collated and declared at the PDP state secretariat in Gombe by the Chairman of the Governorship Primary Rerun Committee.
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Why a rerun was necessary
The fresh primary followed a Federal High Court judgment delivered on 24 September 2026 by Justice Amina Aliyu Mohammed in Gombe. The court voided the earlier process that had produced Pantami as the party’s candidate and ordered the PDP to conduct a new primary in line with its guidelines and relevant electoral laws.
Mailantarki and Garry had challenged the validity of the initial exercise (which took place earlier in the year through a voice affirmation process after Pantami joined the PDP).
Background
Pantami, a prominent Islamic scholar and former federal minister, had earlier sought the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship ticket in Gombe but later moved to the PDP. His initial emergence as PDP candidate was contested, leading to the court-ordered rerun.
With this victory, Pantami has once again secured the PDP ticket for the 2027 Gombe State governorship election. He is expected to face the candidate of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in the general election.
Party leaders have called for unity among members after the primary, urging all aspirants and their supporters to work together for the success of the party in the 2027 polls.
(Further reactions from the candidates and party stakeholders are still being expected.)
Samuel O. Sulaimon is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of Naijapiz. He covers News, Sports, Finance, Faiths, Education, Technology.
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