Fresh political turbulence has erupted in the Gombe State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) after governorship aspirant Khamisu Ahmed Mailantarki declared himself the legitimate candidate, insisting that former Minister Isa Ali Pantami was statutorily ineligible to contest the court-ordered rerun.
The dramatic fallout comes just hours after official results showed Pantami sweeping the primary rerun with over 2,000 votes. Addressing journalists and party supporters immediately after the exercise, Mailantarki, who came second with 389 votes, vehemently rejected the outcome and asserted that he holds the only valid votes cast by qualified aspirants.
According to Mailantarki, statutory provisions under the Electoral Act dictate that only party members whose names appeared on the register submitted to INEC ahead of the primary process are legally permitted to participate. He alleged that Pantami had not officially joined the PDP within the required legal timeframe, making his participation invalid despite warnings issued to the party leadership prior to the vote.
Having successfully challenged the initial primary in court to force this rerun, Mailantarki confirmed that his legal team is already preparing fresh court filings to nullify Pantami’s votes and compel both the PDP and INEC to recognize him as the party’s authentic governorship flagbearer.
The escalating feud threatens to split the opposition party in Gombe State down the middle as legal battles loom large ahead of the 2027 general election.
Do you think Mailantarki’s legal challenge over Pantami’s eligibility will succeed in court? Share your thoughts in the comment section below!
