Ultimatum Issued: Pantami Demands INEC Fix Gombe Governorship List in 3 Days
Former Minister Prof. Isa Ali Pantami has issued a three-day ultimatum to INEC, demanding his inclusion in the 2027 Gombe State governorship election list. His solicitors accuse the commission of unlawful omission, asserting Pantami's rightful candidacy after winning two PDP primaries and securing favorable court rulings on his party membership.
Former Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Prof. Isa Ali Pantami, has given the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) three days to include his name on the final list of candidates for the 2027 Gombe State governorship election. In a letter dated October 12, 2026, his legal representatives, Ahmed Raji & Co., described the omission as unlawful and unexplained, demanding that the commission publish his name as the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate by Wednesday, October 14.
The demand follows INEC’s publication of its final list on October 10, which excluded Pantami despite his victory in the PDP’s fresh governorship primary held on September 29. His lead counsel, Ahmed Raji, SAN, said the rerun followed a Federal High Court order directing the party to conduct a new primary after the earlier exercise was nullified over procedural irregularities.
According to the lawyers, Pantami is a registered PDP member in Pantami Ward, Gombe State, and completed the party’s nomination and screening requirements before contesting its May 26 primary. The PDP had submitted his particulars, including Form EC9, to INEC on August 8, and the commission published his name on August 29.
However, two suits at the Federal High Court in Gombe challenged aspects of his nomination, including his party membership, with judgments delivered on September 24. While the court upheld his PDP membership, it nullified the May primary over procedural failures and ordered a fresh exercise within 30 days, allowing all aspirants previously cleared to participate.
Pantami’s lawyers maintain that the PDP complied with the court order by notifying INEC and conducting the fresh primary under the commission’s monitoring, after which Pantami was declared the winner. They argue that his exclusion from the final list requires immediate correction, particularly because INEC has not publicly stated in the published list why he was omitted.
The legal team asked the commission to publish and circulate Pantami’s name as the PDP candidate by October 14 and provide written confirmation of the steps taken to resolve the complaint. The dispute adds another legal and political complication to the PDP’s preparations for the February 6, 2027, Gombe governorship election.