Former Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Professor Isa Ali Pantami, has given the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) a 72-hour ultimatum to publish his name as the Peoples Democratic Party’s (PDP) candidate for the 2027 governorship election in Gombe State.
In a letter dated October 12, 2026, addressed to the INEC chairman, Pantami’s lawyers, Ahmed Raji & Co., challenged the omission of his name from the final list of candidates published on October 10. The legal team described the omission as unlawful, insisting that Pantami emerged victorious in a fresh PDP primary conducted on September 29, 2026.
According to the letter signed by lead counsel Ahmed Raji, SAN, Pantami is a registered PDP member from Pantami Ward. He reportedly purchased the party’s Expression of Interest and Nomination forms, underwent screening and won the initial primary held on May 26.
The lawyers said the PDP submitted his particulars to INEC through Form EC9 on August 8, after which the commission published his name on August 29 in line with Section 29(3) of the Electoral Act, 2026.
However, the initial primary was challenged in two suits before the Federal High Court in Gombe, with the plaintiffs disputing Pantami’s membership of the party.
His lawyers maintained that judgments delivered on September 24 resolved the membership issue in his favour. They added that although the court nullified the May 26 primary over concerns about its conduct, it directed the PDP to organise a fresh exercise within 30 days, allowing all aspirants cleared on May 14 to participate.
The legal team said the PDP complied with the court order, notified INEC and conducted a fresh primary on September 29 under the commission’s supervision, with Pantami emerging as the winner.
They questioned why INEC subsequently excluded his name from the final candidates’ list without providing an explanation.
In the letter, the lawyers demanded that the commission publish and circulate Pantami’s name as the PDP governorship candidate on or before Wednesday, October 14.
They also urged INEC to rectify the alleged omission immediately and provide written confirmation of the steps taken to resolve the matter.
