Former Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Professor Isa Ali Ibrahim Pantami, and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) have given the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) three days to publish his name on the final list of candidates for the 2027 Gombe State governorship election.
The demand was conveyed in a letter dated 12 October 2026 by Pantami’s solicitors, Ahmed Raji & Co., and addressed to INEC Chairman, Professor Joash Amupitan. The lawyers described the omission of their client’s name from the final list as “unlawful and unexplained”. .
INEC published its final list of candidates on 10 October, naming 16 candidates for the Gombe governorship election scheduled for 6 February 2027. Pantami, who is seeking to contest on the PDP platform, was not included. .
Why Pantami is challenging the omission
According to the legal notice, Pantami is a registered PDP member whose name was included in the party’s membership register submitted to INEC.
His legal team said he purchased the party’s nomination forms, underwent screening and emerged as the PDP governorship candidate at its primary election on 26 May 2026. INEC subsequently published his name on its provisional list in August.
However, a Federal High Court ruling later nullified his initial emergence and ordered a fresh primary election. Pantami emerged again in the rerun conducted on 29 September, according to reports.
His latest exclusion from the final list has therefore prompted the PDP candidate and his lawyers to demand clarification from the electoral commission.
Legal dispute clouds Gombe election race
The dispute comes amid wider legal and political disagreements surrounding candidate eligibility ahead of the 2027 general elections.
A Supreme Court judgment restoring provisions of the Electoral Act 2026 concerning party membership registers has also featured in the controversy over which candidates political parties can nominate.
While Pantami’s legal team maintains that INEC should publish his name within three days, the commission’s final list does not include him, and the published document does not explain the specific reason for his omission. .
The outcome of the dispute could determine whether Pantami appears on the final list for the Gombe governorship election.
As of the reports cited, INEC had not publicly provided a detailed response to the demand.
