2027: PDP aspirants reject Pantami’s pick as Gombe governorship candidate

Two governorship aspirants of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Gombe State, Hamisu Mailantarki and Usman Garry, have rejected the endorsement of Isa Pantami as the party’s governorship candidate, describing the endorsement as a “political jamboree” and a clear act of injustice.

​Speaking at separate press conferences, both Messrs Mailantarki and Garry kicked against the affirmation of Mr Pantami as the flagbearer of the Nyesom Wike-led faction of the PDP for the 2027 election.

​Mr Pantami secured the ticket shortly after defecting from the All Progressives Congress (APC), following his allegations of unfair treatment by the APC leadership in Gombe State.

Mr Mailantarki questioned the legitimacy of Mr Pantami’s emergence, alleging that the former Minister of Communications and Digital Economy had only recently left the APC and had not properly participated in the PDP governorship process.

He alleged that Mr Pantami merely visited a party stakeholder at night and, by the following morning, was announced as the party’s governorship candidate.

Mr Mailantarki said the development contradicted Mr Pantami’s previous public stance against injustice.

“He once said he would fight injustice with his last drop of blood, but today he has come into our party and accepted a mandate that was produced through injustice,” Mr Mailantarki stated.

He added that only four aspirants officially purchased the interest nomination forms and participated in the party’s screening exercise held in Abuja, and that Mr Pantami was not one of them.

He alleged that loyal party members who followed due process were sidelined, warning that such actions could create disunity and crisis within the PDP in Gombe State.

Mr Mailantarki called on the party leadership to uphold fairness, transparency, and internal democracy, stressing that the wishes of genuine party members and aspirants should not be ignored.

Mr Garry also condemned the process that led to Mr Pantami’s emergence as the PDP governorship candidate.

​He stated that he was awaiting the formal conclusion of the exercise on Tuesday, noting that none of the four cleared aspirants had been consulted before the party endorsed Mr Pantami.

Mr Garry, who holds the traditional title of Kogunan Gombe, called on the PDP leadership and all stakeholders to disregard the “charade” carried out today and immediately revert to the undertaking jointly executed by the aspirants.

“My attention has been drawn to the purported affirmation of Prof. Isa Ali Pantami as the gubernatorial candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for Gombe State. I wish to categorically reject and strongly condemn the entire process that led to this development.

“As one of the duly cleared aspirants for the governorship position, I fully participated in all processes leading up to the nomination exercise. I successfully passed through the party’s screening process and was awaiting the conclusion of the nomination exercise originally scheduled for Sunday before the date was later moved to Tuesday, 26th May, 2026, as communicated by the party.

“It is important to state that all four aspirants had earlier signed an undertaking agreeing that one among us would emerge as the party’s candidate through a mutually agreed process. However, contrary to that understanding and in complete violation of due process, none of us was consulted as bona fide aspirants and party members before the purported affirmation announced today.

“I therefore call on the leadership and all stakeholders of our great party, as a matter of urgency, to disregard the charade carried out today and immediately revert to the undertaking jointly executed by the aspirants by selecting and presenting one among them as the duly nominated candidate without further delay.

“Furthermore, the purported candidate affirmed today is not eligible to contest under the PDP, having actively participated in the primary processes of another political party. The position of the law, as well as various judicial pronouncements on double nomination and participation in multiple party primaries, is very clear and unambiguous.

“All four aspirants were completely sidelined throughout this process and were never consulted at any point regarding the selection or nomination of any particular individual. The Electoral Act clearly stipulates the lawful modes of candidate selection under a consensus arrangement, and what transpired today falls far short of those legal requirements.

“While I strongly object to this illegality and injustice, I remain committed to exhausting all internal mechanisms provided by the party for the resolution of disputes arising from the primary election before considering any further line of action.

“I remain firmly committed to the ideals, unity, growth, and success of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), and I will continue to work tirelessly for the progress of the party at all levels.”