The Nyesom Wike-backed faction of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Gombe State will conduct its fresh governorship primary today, Tuesday, September 29, with former Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Professor Isa Ali Ibrahim Pantami, among the three aspirants cleared to participate.
The other two aspirants are Usman Aliyu Garry and Khamisu Ahmed Mailantarki.
The exercise follows a September 24 judgment of the Federal High Court in Gombe, which nullified the earlier PDP governorship primary that produced Pantami and directed the party to conduct another primary within 30 days.
The State Publicity Secretary of the faction, Abdulkadir Ahmed Dukku, confirmed on Monday that preparations had been completed for the fresh exercise.
Dukku said the primary would be conducted in accordance with the court judgment and the relevant rules of the party.
“We will conduct the fresh primary in accordance with the judgment of the Federal High Court,” he said.
The party had earlier announced September 29 as the date for the repeat primary and directed eligible members and delegates to assemble at their respective ward areas to participate in the exercise.
The fresh contest has reopened the battle for the PDP governorship ticket in Gombe after Pantami’s earlier emergence was set aside by the court.
Pantami had emerged from the party’s May 26 primary through a voice affirmation after joining the PDP following his withdrawal from the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship race.
His emergence was subsequently challenged by rival aspirants, including Garry and Mailantarki, who questioned the procedure used by the party to produce him as its candidate.
The Federal High Court, presided over by Justice Amina Aliyu Mohammed, held that the process did not comply with the PDP’s internal regulations and applicable electoral provisions.
The court consequently ordered the party to return to the primary process and conduct a fresh exercise.
However, the court did not grant the request seeking to remove Pantami from the PDP or permanently prevent him from seeking the party’s nomination.
That aspect of the judgment has become a major point of disagreement ahead of today’s exercise.
Garry, who was among those who challenged the earlier primary, has opposed Pantami’s participation in the fresh contest.
Speaking with journalists in Gombe on Monday, Garry said the fresh primary should be limited to aspirants who met the relevant requirements within the stipulated period.
He recalled that a screening committee led by former Kaduna State Governor, Senator Ahmed Makarfi, had screened the party’s governorship aspirants before the earlier primary.
According to Garry, some aspirants were prevented from taking part in the previous exercise, leading to the legal action that eventually resulted in the court-ordered rerun.
He said he and other aspirants had written to the PDP leadership and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), asking that Pantami be prevented from participating in the fresh primary.
Garry’s argument centres on the timing of Pantami’s entry into the PDP.
He maintained that the former minister joined the party after the list of governorship aspirants had already been submitted to INEC.
“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.
