Court reserves judgment on Pantami’s emergence as PDP gov candidate

n n

The Federal High Court in Gombe has stated that it reserved judgment in the suit filed by the Gombe State Peoples Democratic Party governorship aspirant, Aliyu Garry, challenging the emergence of former Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Professor Isa-Ali Ibrahim Pantami, as the party’s governorship candidate for the 2027 election.

n

Justice Amina-Aliyu Muhammad reserved her judgment on Friday after counsel to the parties adopted their final written addresses for and concluded arguments in the pre-election matter.

n

At the proceedings, counsel to the plaintiff, Eko-Ejembi Eko, urged the court to grant all the reliefs sought by Garry, insisting that the suit was meritorious and deserving of the court’s intervention.

n

However, counsel to Pantami, Mohammed Abdul, SAN, represented by Benjamin Sati, asked the court to dismiss the suit, maintaining that Pantami’s emergence complied with the law and the PDP’s procedures.

n

After listening to the submissions, Justice Muhammad commended the counsels on both sides for the manner they conducted the case.

n

“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.

n

She subsequently reserved her judgment, saying, “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.

n

Arewa PUNCH reports that Garry is challenging the process that produced Pantami as the PDP governorship candidate, arguing that it did not comply with the law.

n

The development came barely 24 hours after the same court reserved judgment in a similar suit filed by another PDP governorship aspirant, Khamisu Mailantarki, who is also contesting Pantami’s emergence.

n

As a result, Mailantarki is asking the court to nullify the May 26, 2026 primary and order the PDP to conduct a fresh governorship primary.

n

Speaking after Thursday’s proceedings, Mailantarki’s lead counsel, Mustapha-Shaba Ibrahim, SAN, said the suit was instituted because “a stranger was brought into the process and coronated the candidate of the PDP for the Gombe governorship election.”

n

He added, “Today, we argued our originating summons, they took their preliminary objections, and it is now adjourned for judgment on both processes.”

n

On the withdrawal of the second plaintiff, Monica Kaltho, Ibrahim said it would not affect the case.

n

“The second plaintiff indicated that she had consulted with her party members and did not want to continue with the case. That is not unusual; it is allowed by law. Because the case was filed by two plaintiffs, in the absence of one, it can continue with the presence of the other.

n

“That is why we told the court that we can continue with the case with Khamisu Ahmed Mailantarki, who is the first plaintiff, the deponent to the affidavit and the person challenging what took place on May 26.”

n

Explaining the reliefs sought, the Senior Advocate of Nigeria said, “The prayer is for a fresh election. We are saying that what took place was not a valid primary, so let a valid primary take place between the main aspirants, who are four in number, without Isa-Ali Ibrahim, because he was not a member of the PDP at the time the primaries took place.”

n

Counsel to the PDP, Kamaldeen Ajibade, SAN, confirmed that the court had reserved judgment in the Mailantarki suit after parties adopted their final processes.

n

“We have adopted our processes in the matter filed by Khamisu, and the court has reserved that particular matter for judgement on a date to be communicated,” Ajibade said.

n

n n