A Federal High Court in Gombe has reserved judgment in a pre-election suit contesting the emergence of former Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Professor Isa-Ali Ibrahim Pantami, as the Peoples Democratic Party governorship candidate for the 2027 election in Gombe State.
The action was instituted by PDP governorship aspirant, Aliyu Garry, who is asking the court to decide whether the process that produced Pantami as the party’s flag bearer complied with the provisions of the law and the PDP’s internal guidelines.
Justice Amina-Aliyu Muhammad fixed judgment for a later date on Friday after counsel to all parties adopted their final written addresses and concluded arguments in the matter.
Presenting his case, Garry’s lawyer, Eko-Ejembi Eko, urged the court to grant all the reliefs sought by his client, insisting that the suit was competently filed and warranted the court’s intervention.
Counsel to Pantami, Mohammed Abdul, SAN, represented by Benjamin Sati, however, asked the court to dismiss the suit. The defence argued that Pantami’s emergence as the party’s candidate complied with all legal requirements as well as the PDP’s constitution and guidelines.
Following the submissions, Justice Muhammad praised the conduct of counsel in the proceedings.
“I must commend the learned counsels on both sides for their professionalism, honesty, competence and the respect they have shown to this court throughout the hearing of this matter,” the judge said.
She subsequently reserved judgment, stating that parties would be informed once a date had been fixed for the verdict.
“The court hereby reserves judgment in this matter. A date for the delivery of the judgement will be communicated to all parties in due course,” Justice Muhammad ruled.
The case is among several legal disputes arising from Pantami’s emergence as the PDP governorship candidate ahead of the 2027 governorship election in Gombe State.
The development comes barely a day after the same court also reserved judgment in another suit filed by a different PDP governorship aspirant, Khamisu Ahmed Mailantarki, who is equally challenging Pantami’s nomination.
Mailantarki is seeking the nullification of the PDP governorship primary held on May 26, 2026, and is asking the court to direct the party to conduct a fresh primary election.
Addressing journalists after that hearing, Mailantarki’s lead counsel, Mustapha-Shaba Ibrahim, SAN, said the suit was initiated over alleged irregularities surrounding the process that produced Pantami as the party’s candidate.
According to him, “a stranger was brought into the process and coronated the candidate of the PDP for the Gombe governorship election.”
He explained that arguments had been concluded on both the substantive suit and the preliminary objections raised by the defendants, leaving the matter pending for judgment.
The senior lawyer also said the withdrawal of Monica Kaltho, who was initially joined as a co-plaintiff, would not affect the case.
According to Ibrahim, the law allows one plaintiff to continue an action even after another withdraws, adding that Mailantarki remains the principal challenger in the suit.
He further disclosed that his client is seeking an order directing the PDP to conduct a fresh governorship primary involving the leading aspirants who participated in the exercise.
Ibrahim maintained that the plaintiffs contend Pantami was not a registered member of the PDP at the time the primary election was conducted and therefore was ineligible to participate in the exercise.
Meanwhile, counsel to the PDP, Kamaldeen Ajibade, SAN, confirmed that hearing in the Mailantarki suit had been concluded and judgment reserved after all parties adopted their final written processes.
The outcome of the two cases is expected to shape the future of the PDP’s governorship ticket in Gombe State as political activities ahead of the 2027 general elections continue to intensify.
