Pantami’s camp urges calm over omission from INEC list

The camp of former Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Prof. Isa Pantami, has appealed for calm among his supporters following the omission of his name and that of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) list of governorship candidates for the 2027 election in Gombe State.

The appeal was contained in a statement issued by the spokesperson for the Pantamiyya Movement, Prof. Suleiman Mohammed, and shared on Pantami’s official Facebook account.

Mohammed described the development as a temporary challenge rather than a final determination of Pantami’s political future, urging PDP members and supporters of the Pantamiyya Movement to remain calm, hopeful and focused as the electoral process unfolds.

“This is a temporary challenge and a normal part of the electoral process, not a final determination, in sha Allah,” the statement said.

According to the statement, Pantami’s camp was aware that his name was missing from INEC’s published list despite his emergence as the PDP governorship candidate following a fresh primary election conducted on September 29.

The fresh primary followed an order by the Federal High Court in Gombe, which led to another exercise to determine the party’s candidate for the 2027 governorship election.

However, while the names of candidates fielded by several other political parties appeared on INEC’s published list, neither Pantami nor the PDP was listed.

The omission has raised questions about the status of the party’s nomination and the next steps available to the PDP and its candidate.

The statement from Pantami’s camp did not specify whether the party or the candidate would seek clarification from INEC, pursue an administrative resolution or explore legal options over the omission.

Nevertheless, the camp urged supporters to remain composed, stressing that the omission should not be interpreted as a final decision on Pantami’s participation in the 2027 Gombe governorship election.

The development comes amid preparations by political parties and aspirants for the 2027 general elections, with the finalisation of candidate lists remaining a key part of the electoral process.