Khamisu Ahmed Mailantarki, a gubernatorial aspirant of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Gombe State, has declared himself the winner of the party’s rerun governorship primary election held on Tuesday.
The PDP conducted the rerun primary after a previous election that produced Isa Ali Pantami was annulled by the Federal High Court in Gombe.
Pantami was again declared the winner of Tuesday’s rerun by the committee led by Hon. Johnbull Tiemlong Shekarau.
However, speaking shortly after the results were announced, Mailantarki argued that Pantami should not have participated in the election, citing a Supreme Court judgment which he said had declared him ineligible to contest.
Mailantarki, who came second in the primary, said he should therefore be regarded as the winner.
He also alleged that Pantami was still a member of the All Progressives Congress (APC) when the PDP screening committee cleared him to participate in the primary initially scheduled for May 26.
According to Mailantarki, the contest should have been between himself and the third-placed aspirant, Usman Aliyu Garry.
He vowed to challenge the outcome in court, saying he was prepared to pursue the case up to the Supreme Court in an effort to reclaim what he described as his mandate.
Mailantarki’s earlier legal action had led to the nullification of Pantami’s previous victory, with the Federal High Court in Gombe ordering the PDP to conduct a fresh primary election.
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