Former Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Isa Pantami, has won the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) fresh governorship primary in Gombe State, securing the party’s ticket for the 2027 election.

Pantami polled 817 votes to defeat Khamisu Mailantarki, who scored 153 votes, while Aliyu Usman Garry secured 50 votes in the rerun conducted across the state’s 11 local government areas on Tuesday.

The fresh primary followed a Federal High Court judgment that nullified Pantami’s earlier emergence as the PDP governorship candidate and ordered the party to conduct another primary in accordance with its constitution, guidelines and relevant electoral laws.

The judgment followed a suit by Garry challenging the process that produced Pantami as the party’s candidate.

The PDP subsequently fixed September 29 for the rerun, clearing Pantami, Mailantarki and Garry to participate in the exercise.

Pantami had initially emerged as the PDP candidate through a voice affirmation at the party’s May governorship primary, after leaving the All Progressives Congress (APC).

He had earlier withdrawn from the APC governorship primary scheduled for May 21, citing alleged breaches of the electoral process, before defecting to the PDP and securing its initial ticket.