PDP, Pantami give INEC three days to publish name as Gombe governorship candidate

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its Gombe State governorship candidate, Isa Pantami, have issued a three-day ultimatum to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to publish his name on the final list of candidates for the 2027 general elections.

The law firm of Ahmed Raji & Co. conveyed the demand in a formal legal document dated 12 October, sent to the INEC Chairman and signed by senior advocates including Ahmed Raji, A.T. Kehinde, Abdul Mohammed, Wale Balogun, and Tunde Falola.

According to the solicitors, Mr Pantami’s name was “unlawfully and inexplicably omitted” from the final candidate list published by the electoral umpire on 10 October, despite his emergence as the winner of the party’s court-ordered fresh primary election.

Background of the legal battle

The document said Mr Pantami originally won the PDP primary election on 26 May, after which he submitted his personal particulars (Form EC9) to INEC under Section 29(1) of the Electoral Act, 2026, and INEC published them on 29 August.

However, the primary was challenged in two separate suits at the Federal High Court in Gombe.

Both suits questioned Mr Pantami’s PDP membership and eligibility.

In judgments delivered on 24 September, the court affirmed Mr Pantami’s PDP membership and eligibility, holding that membership is a domestic affair of the political party.

While the court nullified the 26 May primary based on procedural issues regarding its conduct, it ordered the PDP to hold a fresh gubernatorial primary within 30 days, allowing all previously cleared aspirants—including Mr Pantami —to participate.

Fresh primaries and ultimatum

The document said that, in compliance with the court’s directive, the PDP held a fresh primary election on 29 September, monitored and observed by INEC officials.

Mr Pantami again emerged as the winner, and his name was resubmitted to the commission.

Citing Supreme Court and Court of Appeal precedents—including Dingyadi v. INEC and Raymond v. INEC—the legal team emphasised that INEC lacks the power to disqualify candidates or omit nominated names, as the judiciary alone can remove a candidate’s name.

“The Commission’s role in primaries is to attend, observe, monitor and report, not to disqualify, and not to cherry-pick,” the letter stated.

The law firm gave INEC until Wednesday, 14 October, to publish and circulate Mr Pantami’s name as the official PDP governorship candidate for Gombe State in the 2027 elections with the same prominence as other published candidates, warning of further legal action should the commission fail to comply.

Read below the full statement from the legal team:

AHMED RAJI & CO.
BARRISTERS | SOLICITORS | ARBITRATORS | CONSULTANCY

12th October, 2026

The Chairman,
Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC)
Plot 436, Zambezi Crescent,
Maitama,
Abuja.

Sir,

UNLAWFUL AND UNEXPLAINED OMISSION OF THE NAME OF PROFESSOR ISA ALI IBRAHIM, THE NOMINATED CANDIDATE OF THE PDP, FROM THE FINAL LIST OF CANDIDATES FOR THE OFFICE OF GOVERNOR OF GOMBE STATE FOR THE 2027 GENERAL ELECTIONS – DEMAND FOR IMMEDIATE PUBLICATION WITHIN THREE (3) DAYS

We act as solicitors to Professor Isa Ali Ibrahim and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) (hereinafter referred to as “our Clients”) and, on their firm instructions, write in respect of the publication by the Commission on the 10th day of October, 2026 of the Final List of Candidates for the 2027 general elections from which the name of PROF ISA ALI IBRAHIM, the duly nominated candidate of the PDP for the office of Governor of Gombe State, was omitted without any reason being given.

Professor Isa Ali Ibrahim is a duly registered PDP member in Pantami Ward, Gombe State. The updated PDP membership register (containing his name) was duly submitted to the Commission. (See Annexure A hereto). He purchased the PDP Expression of Interest and Nomination Forms for the gubernatorial primary; after screening and clearance, he participated in the PDP governorship primary election in Gombe State, emerging as the winner on the 26th day of May, 2026. Thereafter, the PDP submitted his personal particulars (Form EC9) to the Commission on the 8th day of August, 2026 pursuant to Section 29(1) of the Electoral Act, 2026, and the Commission published his name on the 29th day of August, 2026 pursuant to Section 29(3) of the Act. Up to this point, no step was taken by the Commission to question any aspect of his emergence.

The primary of 26th May, 2026 was thereafter challenged in Suit No. FHC/GM/CS/9/2026 between Usman Aliyu (Garry) v. PDP & 2 Ors and Suit No. FHC/GM/CS/10/2026 between Khamisu Ahmed & Anor v. PDP & 2 Ors before the Federal High Court, Gombe. The Second and fourth questions submitted for determination in the Originating Summons squarely challenged Isa Ali Ibrahim’s membership, contending that, because his name was not in the PDP register submitted to the Commission, he was ineligible to contest the primary. Those issues were fully litigated on affidavit evidence and determined.

At page 57 of the judgment in Suit No. FHC/GM/CS/9/2026, the Court held, in terms thus:

“I therefore find that the plaintiff has not established that the 3rd defendant was legally incapable of being recognised by the 1st Defendant as its member. Accordingly, question two is resolved against the Plaintiff. Question four concerns whether the 3rd Defendant validly emerged as the 1st Defendant’s gubernatorial candidate having regard to Sections 177(c) and 228(b) of the Constitution. Section 177(c) requires a person seeking election as Governor to be a member of, and sponsored by, a political party. I have already resolved the membership issue against the Plaintiff. The remaining question is therefore whether the 3rd Defendant derived valid sponsorship from the 1st Defendant’s nomination process. That question has substantially been answered under questions one and three.

Equally in Suit No. FHC/GM/CS/10/2026, the Court resolved Questions 1, 2 and 3 in favour of the Plaintiff, but resolved Question 4 – the membership and eligibility of Isa Ali Ibrahim against the Plaintiff. At pages 65-66 of the judgment, the Court held, in terms thus:

“As to PDP membership, even though the 2nd Defendant’s name does not appear in Exhibit A, that fact alone is not conclusive of his non-membership. The Supreme Court has consistently held that membership of a political party is ordinarily a matter within the party’s domestic affairs and that the party is primarily responsible for determining who its members are. See Enang v. Asuquo & Ors supra. In the present case, the 1st Defendant recognises the 2nd Defendant as its member and has produced both a membership card and a register containing his name………Accordingly, the Plaintiff has not established the 2nd Defendant’s ineligibility on the grounds advanced. Question four is resolved against the Plaintiff”.

By the two judgments of the 24th day of September, 2026, the Court nullified the primary of 26th May, 2026 on grounds relating to the conduct of that exercise. It directed the PDP to conduct a fresh gubernatorial primary election within 30 days, in accordance with the Electoral Act, 2026, its Constitution and its Electoral Guidelines, “affording the Plaintiff and all other aspirants whose clearance from the screening exercise of 14th May 2026 remains valid the opportunity to participate.” The Court’s consequential orders restrained the PDP and the Commission only from recognising, accepting, publishing or giving effect to a nomination “arising from the exercise of 26 May 2026.” (Judgments annexed as Annexures B and C, respectively).

In compliance with the court order, the PDP gave the Commission due notice of the court-ordered primary and conducted the fresh gubernatorial primary election on Tuesday, the 29th day of September, 2026. The exercise was conducted in accordance with the Electoral Act, 2026, the PDP Constitution, and its Electoral Guidelines. Commission officials attended, observed, and monitored it, and the Commission has custody of the monitoring report (Annexure D hereto). At the conclusion of that exercise, Isa Ali Ibrahim emerged as the winner, and his name was again submitted to the Commission as the PDP’s nominated candidate.

It is settled law, binding on the Commission, that the removal of a nominated candidate’s name is exclusively a judicial act: DINGYADI & ANOR v. INEC & ORS (2011) LPELR-950(SC); RAYMOND v. INEC & ORS (2023) LPELR-61366(CA); AC & ANOR v. INEC (2007) LPELR-66(SC). The Commission’s role in primaries is to attend, observe, monitor, and report, not to disqualify or cherry-pick.

In the circumstances, we have our Client’s firm and unequivocal instructions to demand, and we hereby demand that the Commission, on or before Wednesday, the 14th day of October, 2026, publish and circulate the name of Professor Isa Ali Ibrahim as the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party for the office of Governor of Gombe State in the 2027 general elections, in the same manner and with the same prominence as the names of all other candidates published on the 10th day of October, 2026;

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We trust that the Commission, as an impartial electoral umpire committed to the rule of law and compliance with judicial orders, will take immediate corrective action and confirm in writing the steps taken to resolve this matter.