Just In: Pantami Secures PDP Governorship Ticket in Gombe Ahead of 2027 Election

• A Federal High Court had nullified Prof. Isa Ali Pantami's earlier primary victory and ordered a fresh exercise in Gombe State
• The fresh PDP primary held across 114 wards in all 11 LGAs of Gombe State on Tuesday, with 2,555 accredited members participating
• Two other candidates contested against Pantami in the rerun primary, with results announced by the election committee chairman

Legit.ng journalist Ridwan Adeola Yusuf has over nine years of experience covering politics, elections, public affairs, and governance in Nigeria and Africa.

Gombe, Gombe State - Prof. Isa Ali Pantami has been declared the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate for Gombe State ahead of the 2027 general elections, winning a court-ordered rerun primary held on Tuesday, September 29.

As reported by The Cable, the development follows a ruling by a Federal High Court recently, which nullified his earlier primary victory and directed the party to conduct a fresh exercise. The rerun took place across all 114 wards in the state's 11 Local Government Areas.

Pantami defeats two rivals in rerun

The Chairman of the PDP Governorship Primary Election Committee, Hon. Johnbull Tiemlong Shekarau, announced that 2,555 accredited members took part in the exercise. Pantami secured 2,054 votes, well ahead of his two challengers.

Former House of Representatives member Khamisu Ahmed Mailantarki finished as first runner-up with 389 votes, while Usman Aliyu Garry came in third with 112 votes.

Announcing the outcome, Shekarau said:

"I, Hon. Johnbull Tiemlong Shekarau, hereby declare Isa Ali Pantami as the winner of this primary election and return him as the duly elected governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the 2027 general elections."

Shekarau praised the national and state leadership of the PDP for their support, and also commended security agencies for maintaining order throughout the exercise. He also acknowledged Senator Ibrahim Hassan Dankwambo for "providing a leadership and support during the exercise," as well as party members across Gombe for their peaceful conduct.

2027 election: Pantami calls for unity

According to Daily Trust, in his acceptance speech, Pantami thanked party members for conducting the primary peacefully and called on both Mailantarki and Garry to join forces with him ahead of the 2027 elections.

He said that if elected governor, he would offer purposeful leadership "and rescue the state from years of mis-governance of the All Progressives Congress (APC) administration."

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Gombe governor swears in permanent secretaries

Earlier, Legit.ng reported that Gombe State Governor Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya swore in 19 new Permanent Secretaries, an appointment his administration described as the largest of its kind in the history of the state.

The swearing-in took place at the International Conference Centre in Gombe, with the governor noting that the fresh batch brings the total number of Permanent Secretaries appointed since he took office to 55. He added that more than 100 directors have also been elevated into senior administrative positions within the state civil service during the same period.