2027: Pantami gives INEC three days to publish his name on Gombe guber list

The legal team of the embattled governorship candidate of the Nyesom Wike-backed main opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Professor Isa Ali Ibrahim Pantami, has given Nigeria’s electoral umpire, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), three days within which to publish his name as the candidate of the party for the 2027 Gombe State governorship election.

The lawyers, led by Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) Ahmed Raji, made the demand in a letter dated October 12, 2026, addressed to the INEC Chairman, following the omission of Pantami’s name from the final list of governorship candidates published by the commission on October 10.

The letter described the omission as “unlawful and unexplained” and demanded that INEC publish Pantami’s name alongside those of other candidates.

The legal team, which also includes A.T. Kehinde, Abdul Mohammed, Wale Balogun and Chief Tunde Falola, argued that Isa Ali Pantami emerged as the PDP candidate at a fresh governorship primary conducted on September 29, in compliance with a Federal High Court order.

The lawyers stated that the party had duly notified INEC of the exercise, which was attended and monitored by officials of the commission.

According to the letter, Isa Ali Pantami initially won the PDP governorship primary held on May 26, 2026, after purchasing the nomination forms, undergoing screening and participating in the exercise.

His personal particulars were subsequently submitted to INEC on August 8, while the commission published his name on August 29.

However, the May primary was challenged in two separate suits before the Federal High Court in Gombe: Usman Aliyu (Garry) v. PDP & 2 Others and Khamisu Ahmed & Another v. PDP & 2 Others.

In its judgments delivered on September 24, the court nullified the May 26 primary over issues relating to its conduct and directed the PDP to conduct a fresh governorship primary within 30 days.

The court ordered the party to conduct the fresh exercise in accordance with the Electoral Act, 2026, its constitution and electoral guidelines, while allowing the plaintiffs and other aspirants whose clearance remained valid to participate.

The lawyers opined that the court’s consequential orders specifically restrained the PDP and INEC from recognising, accepting, publishing or giving effect to any nomination arising from the nullified May 26 primary.

They maintained that the orders did not invalidate the fresh primary conducted on September 29.

The legal team also cited portions of the two judgments in which the court rejected challenges to Pantami’s PDP membership and eligibility to contest the governorship primary.

In one of the judgments, the court held that the plaintiffs had failed to establish that Isa Ali Pantami was legally incapable of being recognised as a member of the PDP.

In the other, the court ruled that the absence of his name from a particular membership register was not, in itself, conclusive proof that he was not a party member, noting that the PDP had recognised him as a member and produced evidence of his membership.

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The lawyers argued that INEC’s role in party primaries was to attend, observe, monitor and report on the process, rather than independently disqualify a candidate.

Citing previous judicial decisions, including Dingyadi & Anor v. INEC & Ors and AC & Anor v. INEC, they contended that the removal of a nominated candidate’s name from the electoral process was a matter for the courts.

They therefore urged INEC to correct the omission by publishing Pantami’s name as the PDP governorship candidate by Wednesday, October 14, 2026, and to confirm in writing the steps taken to address the matter.

The commission had yet to state its reasons for omitting Pantami’s name in the final list, according to the letter.

The dispute adds a fresh legal and political dimension to the PDP’s preparations for the 2027 governorship election in Gombe State.