Political Firestorm: Pantami Delivers Ultimatum to INEC Over Gombe Governorship List Snub
Former Minister Professor Isa Ali Pantami has given INEC a three-day ultimatum to include his name in the final list of candidates for the 2027 Gombe State governorship election. Despite winning a fresh primary election, his name was unlawfully omitted from the published list. Pantami's legal team demands immediate rectification by October 14, citing court orders and party compliance.
Professor Isa Ali Pantami, the former Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, has issued a stern three-day ultimatum to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). Through his legal representatives, Ahmed Raji & Co., Pantami is demanding that his name be promptly included in the final roster of candidates vying for the 2027 governorship election in Gombe State. The directive, conveyed in a letter dated October 12, 2026, and addressed to the INEC Chairman, specifically requires the commission to publish Pantami's name as the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate by Wednesday, October 14.
The contention arises from INEC's alleged unlawful omission of Pantami's name from the final list, which was officially released on October 10, 2026. This omission occurred despite his clear emergence as the PDP's gubernatorial candidate in a court-ordered fresh primary election. Lead counsel, Ahmed Raji, SAN, emphasized that Pantami secured victory in this new primary, conducted by the PDP on September 29, 2026, a direct consequence of a judicial directive for the party to organize another electoral exercise.
According to the detailed letter, Pantami, a registered member of the PDP at Pantami Ward in Gombe State, meticulously followed all due processes. He procured the party's Expression of Interest and Nomination forms, successfully navigated the screening process, and was subsequently cleared to contest. Initially, he emerged as the winner of the PDP's governorship primary held on May 26, 2026. Following this initial victory, the PDP submitted his personal details, including Form EC9, to INEC on August 8, 2026, leading to the commission's publication of his name on August 29, 2026, in compliance with Section 29(3) of the Electoral Act, 2026.
However, the initial May 26 primary was challenged in two separate lawsuits filed at the Federal High Court in Gombe. The plaintiffs in these suits raised questions regarding Pantami's membership of the PDP. Raji confirmed that the court, in its judgments delivered on September 24, 2026, decisively resolved the membership controversy in Pantami's favor. The court further clarified that in the second suit,