The crisis over the selection of Dr Isa Pantami as the Governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Gombe State, is still generating dust thereby refusing to settle down.
This is as one of the Governorship aspirants, Mr. Abdulkadir-Hamma Saleh, has petitioned the partyโs Governorship Appeals Panel over what he described as โwrongful exclusionโ from the partyโs governorship primary election and the sudden imposition of Dr. Isa Pantami as the candidate of the party.
Saleh, in a letter dated May 27, 2026, and addressed to the Chairman of the PDP Governorship Appeals Panel in Gombe, stressed that having being duly screened and cleared by the PDP Screening Committee headed by former Kaduna State Governor, Senator Ahmed Mohammed Makarfi, to participate in the exercise, he was not allowed to participate in the primary election.
๐๐๐๐๐ said; โDespite being cleared, I was neither invited nor notified about the conduct of the primary election initially scheduled for May 24, 2026, and later rescheduled to May 26, 2026โ.
The petitioner expressed surprise how Isa ๐ฟ๐๐๐๐๐๐ was ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ of the PDP 2027 gubernatorial election ๐๐ข the Chairman of the partyโs Gombe Electoral Panel, Gregory ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐.
Saleh further stated in the petition that he only became aware of the exercise through the social media while at his residence in Gombe State.
According to him; โOn May 26, 2026, while I was in my house in Gombe State, I saw on social media that Professor Isa Ali Ibrahim Pantami, was allegedly declared as the sole aspirant, and declared the winner and candidate of the PDPโ.
Saleh particularly questioned Pantamiโs participation in the PDP primary, having earlier contested in the governorship primary election of the All Progressives Congress (APC), where he emerged as the runner-up.
The aspirant therefore appealed to the panel to investigate what he described as โa kangaroo arrangement and caricature of an electionโ.
Saleh further said; โI hereby appeal to your panel to look into my complaint with a view to addressing the kangaroo arrangement that took place on May 26, 2026, which is a caricature of an election.
โI have the confidence that the Appeals Panel would ensure fairness and justice in resolving this matter,โ he stated.
