Gombe PDP primary: Mailantarki Declares self Winner, vows fresh suit against Pantami

A gubernatorial aspirant of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Gombe State, Khamisu Ahmed Mailantarki, has declared himself winner of the primary election conducted by the party.

Daily Trust reports that the PDP had earlier on Tuesday conducted a rerun primary election, where Isa Ali Pantami was declared winner by Hon. Johnbull Tiemlong Shekarau-led Committee.

Addressing newsmen shortly after the election results were announced, Mailantarki declared that going by the supreme court judgement, Pantami shouldn’t have participated in the election.

“Therefore, having came second in the election, and going by the supreme court judgement which declared Pantami not eligible to contest the election, I believe that I am the winner of this primary election conducted today by our party.”

According to him, Pantami was still in the APC when they were cleared by the PDP screening committee to contest in the primary election earlier slated for May 26.

He said the election should have been contested by him and the third runner-up, Usman Aliyu Garry.

Mailantarki vowed to reclaim his mandate, even if it takes going through litigation in court.

He declared, “I am ready to go to court, even it if means going to the supreme court to reclaim my victory at the just concluded primary election.”

Daily Trust reports that Mailantarki’s previous suit triggered the nullification of Pantami’s previous victory as a Federal High Court in Gombe annulled the previous exercise and ordered the conduct of a fresh primary, which held today.