A Federal High Court in Gombe State has commenced hearing in a pre-election suit challenging the emergence of Prof. Isa Ali Ibrahim Pantami as the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Gombe State for the 2027 election.
Case Filed by Aggrieved Aspirant
Abdulkadir Hamma Saleh filed the suit before Justice Amina Aliyu Mohammed, challenging Pantami’s emergence. Saleh is seeking the court’s intervention over the process that produced Pantami as the PDP flagbearer, alleging irregularities in the conduct of the PDP’s governorship nomination exercise.
According to Daily Trust, Justice Mohammed adjourned the proceedings until Thursday, July 9, 2026, for further mention.
Internal Party Dispute Resolution Attempts
Saleh had previously appealed to the PDP leadership to address his grievances and review the conduct of the primary election. The aggrieved aspirant urged the PDP to exhaust its internal dispute resolution mechanisms in the interest of fairness, unity, and due process. He described his efforts to obtain redress within the party as unsuccessful before approaching the court, leading him to institute legal action to challenge the outcome of the exercise.
Political Significance Ahead of 2027
The suit is expected to attract considerable political interest as the PDP intensifies preparations for the 2027 governorship election in Gombe State.
Pantami’s Defection and PDP Ticket
Pantami defected to the PDP and secured the party’s governorship ticket for Gombe State through a voice affirmation primary. Party officials confirmed him as the sole aspirant after the nomination process held in Gombe on Tuesday, May 26, 2026. His emergence followed objections from some party members who questioned the legality of his entry into the race after earlier political involvement elsewhere.
Previously, Pantami had withdrawn from contesting the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship primary in Gombe state, citing anomalies in the primary election processes. His withdrawal generated reactions from his supporters, who called on him to dump the APC and contest under another party.
Denial of Allegations
Meanwhile, Pantami has denied ever killing or directing anyone to kill anyone. On Monday, November 24, 2025, an X (formerly Twitter) user, @escobo123456, claimed that Pantami allegedly killed a student at Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University (ATBU), Bauchi state. In an interview with The Punch published on April 22, 2021, Samuel Achi, a former lecturer of Industrial Chemistry at Kaduna State University, narrated how his son, Sunday Achi, was allegedly strangled at ATBU mosque. Achi, a professor, also stated he was aware that Pantami was the chief imam of the university’s mosque when the incident occurred on December 9, 2004.
