Ultimatum Issued: Pantami Demands INEC Fix Gombe Governorship List in 3 Days

Former Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Prof. Isa Ali Pantami, has issued a stringent three-day ultimatum to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), demanding the immediate inclusion of his name in the final list of candidates for the 2027 governorship election in Gombe State. Through his legal representatives, Ahmed Raji & Co., Pantami has accused INEC of an unlawful omission, stating that his name was inexplicably left out of the list published on October 10, 2026, despite his clear victory as the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate in a recently conducted fresh primary election.

In a formal letter dated October 12, 2026, addressed directly to the INEC Chairman, the law firm articulated their demand for the commission to promptly publish Pantami’s name as the legitimate PDP governorship candidate within the stipulated three-day period. Lead counsel, Ahmed Raji, SAN, emphasized that Pantami secured victory in the fresh primary election conducted by the PDP on September 29, 2026. This exercise was a direct consequence of a court order that mandated the PDP to organize another primary election, following an earlier legal challenge.

According to the detailed letter, Prof. Pantami, who is a registered member of the PDP in Pantami Ward, Gombe State, had diligently followed all party procedures. He purchased the Expression of Interest and Nomination forms, underwent the required screening process, and was subsequently cleared to contest the governorship primary. His journey began with an initial victory in the party’s governorship primary held on May 26, 2026. Following this initial success, the PDP submitted his personal particulars, including Form EC9, to INEC on August 8, 2026, and his name was subsequently published by the commission on August 29, 2026, in compliance with Section 29(3) of the Electoral Act, 2026.

However, the initial primary faced legal scrutiny through two separate suits filed at the Federal High Court in Gombe. These lawsuits primarily challenged Pantami’s membership of the PDP. Raji confirmed that the Federal High Court, in judgments delivered on September 24, 2026, unequivocally resolved the contentious membership issue in Pantami’s favour. One ruling specifically stated that the non-appearance of Pantami’s name in a tendered exhibit was not conclusive proof of non-membership, reiterating that party membership is generally an internal affair. While the court affirmed Pantami’s membership, it did nullify the May 26 primary due to procedural irregularities in its conduct, mandating the PDP to conduct a fresh exercise within 30 days. This order explicitly required the party to allow all aspirants previously cleared on May 14, 2026, to participate in the new primary.

The law firm confirmed that the PDP fully adhered to the court’s directive. The party notified INEC and proceeded to conduct the new primary election on September 29, 2026, under the direct monitoring of the commission. In this fresh exercise, Pantami once again emerged as the declared winner. Consequently, his lawyers have vehemently faulted INEC’s decision to exclude his name from the final list of governorship candidates, which was published on October 10, 2026, especially given the absence of any stated explanation for this omission.

Demanding prompt corrective action, Ahmed Raji & Co. stated that their client has provided firm and unequivocal instructions to formally request the commission to rectify the omission before the impending deadline. The letter explicitly states: “We have our Client’s firm and unequivocal instructions to demand that the Commission, on or before Wednesday, October 14, publish and circulate the name of Prof. Isa Ali Ibrahim as the candidate of the PDP for the office of Governor of Gombe State.” The lawyers further urged INEC to take immediate steps to address this critical matter and provide a written confirmation detailing the actions taken to effectively resolve the complaint.