PDP aspirants reject Pantami Gombe primary bid, opposing alleged attempt to include ex-minister in PDP governorship race ahead of 2027
Four governorship aspirants of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in Gombe State have rejected what they described as an alleged attempt to bring former Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Prof. Isa Ali Ibrahim Pantami, into the party’s governorship primary ahead of the 2027 general elections.
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The aspirants, Alhaji Abdulkadir Hamma Saleh, Hon. Khamisu Ahmed Mailantarki, Hon. Usman Aliyu Garry and Mrs. Monica Kaltho, made their position known in a communiqué issued after an emergency meeting held on Sunday in Gombe.
Pantami was rejected by PDP primary development follows claims that there were plans to allow Pantami, who reportedly participated in the All Progressives Congress, APC, governorship primaries on May 21, 2026, to join the PDP primary race.
The aspirants argued that such a move would contradict provisions of the Electoral Act and established democratic principles, insisting that an individual cannot participate in primaries of different political parties within the same electoral cycle.
In the communiqué, they strongly condemned the alleged plan, warning that it could expose the party to avoidable legal disputes and internal crisis ahead of the 2027 elections.
They further stated that any attempt to alter the current structure of the PDP primary process could trigger litigation from aggrieved members and political opponents.
Despite their objections, the aspirants affirmed that the PDP remains open to new entrants, but maintained that anyone who had already participated in another party’s primary should not be included in the ongoing process.
The group also disclosed that they had agreed to allow the party leadership in Gombe State to select a consensus candidate from among the four aspirants, in what they described as a gesture of unity and respect for party elders.
They specifically referenced former Governor Ibrahim Hassan Dankwambo as a key figure in the party’s leadership structure in the state, alongside other stakeholders across the 11 local government areas.
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The development highlights growing internal tensions within the PDP in Gombe State as parties continue early manoeuvring ahead of the 2027 general elections.
