PDP Lawyers: INEC Must List Pantami Gombe Candidate for 2027 Election

• PDP lawyers have given INEC a three-day ultimatum to publish Professor Isa Ali Ibrahim's name on the final list for the 2027 Gombe governorship election.
• Professor Ibrahim's name was omitted from the list published on October 10, 2026, despite his initial emergence as the PDP candidate on May 26, 2026.
• Federal High Court judgments on September 24, 2026, nullified the primary due to conduct issues but affirmed Ibrahim's PDP membership and eligibility.
• The court's restraints applied only to nominations from the nullified May 26, 2026, primary, not to Ibrahim's fundamental eligibility.
• The legal team, led by Ahmed Raji, SAN, argues that INEC's omission is unlawful given the court's prior rulings on his eligibility.

The Federal High Court's rulings in FHC/GM/CS/9/2026 and FHC/GM/CS/10/2026 provided clear guidance on Professor Pantami's status, and the current dispute centers on whether INEC will fully implement the spirit and letter of those judgments in the context of the 2027 election cycle.

Legal representatives for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its Gombe State governorship candidate, Professor Isa Ali Ibrahim, have issued a three-day ultimatum to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). The demand, articulated in a letter dated October 12, 2026, and addressed to the INEC Chairman, calls for the immediate publication of Professor Ibrahim's name on the final list of candidates for the upcoming 2027 gubernatorial election. The legal team, spearheaded by Ahmed Raji, SAN, characterized the omission of Ibrahim's name from the list, which INEC published on October 10, 2026, as both unlawful and without explanation. They insisted that INEC must include his name and afford it the same prominence as other candidates on the list.

Professor Isa Ali Ibrahim, who previously served as the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, is a registered member of the PDP in Pantami Ward, Gombe State. His updated PDP membership register, which includes his name, was duly submitted to the Commission. He successfully acquired the necessary Expression of Interest and Nomination Forms from the PDP for the gubernatorial primary. Following a thorough screening and clearance process, he participated in the party's governorship primary election for Gombe State on May 26, 2026, where he emerged as the victorious candidate. Subsequently, on August 8, 2026, the PDP submitted his personal particulars (Form EC9) to INEC, in accordance with Section 29(1) of the Electoral Act, 2026. INEC then proceeded to publish his name on August 29, 2026, as mandated by Section 29(3) of the same Act, without any initial challenge regarding his emergence.

The primary election held on May 26, 2026, faced legal challenges in the Federal High Court, Gombe, through two distinct suits: FHC/GM/CS/9/2026, filed by Usman Aliyu (Garry) against the PDP and two others, and FHC/GM/CS/10/2026, brought by Khamisu Ahmed & Anor against the PDP and two others. A central contention in these cases revolved around Professor Isa Ali Ibrahim's membership status and eligibility, with plaintiffs arguing that his name was absent from the PDP register submitted to the Commission, thereby rendering him ineligible to contest the primary. These specific issues were thoroughly litigated, involving affidavit evidence, and were ultimately determined by the court.

The PDP's legal representatives highlighted that the Federal High Court did not find Professor Pantami ineligible to be recognized as a party member or to emerge as the party's Gombe State governorship candidate for the 2027 election. Citing the judgments delivered in Suits Nos. FHC/GM/CS/9/2026 and FHC/GM/CS/10/2026, the legal team confirmed that the court ruled against the plaintiffs concerning Ibrahim’s membership and eligibility. The court explicitly affirmed that the party's recognition of Ibrahim as a member, substantiated by his membership card and the official party register, was sufficient to dismiss the claims of ineligibility. However, the judgments issued on September 24, 2026, did nullify the May 26, 2026, primary due to issues related to its conduct, directing the PDP to organize a fresh gubernatorial primary within 30 days, in adherence to the Electoral Act, 2026, its constitution, and electoral guidelines, ensuring all cleared aspirants could participate. The court's consequential orders only restrained the PDP and INEC from recognizing, accepting, publishing, or giving effect to any nomination stemming from the May 26, 2026, exercise.

This situation underscores the critical importance of INEC's strict adherence to judicial directives, particularly when court judgments clarify candidate eligibility and the validity of party membership despite the nullification of a primary election. The PDP lawyers' demand emphasizes that while the initial primary was nullified on procedural grounds, the court explicitly upheld Professor Isa Ali Ibrahim's membership and eligibility to contest. Therefore, the subsequent omission of his name from the INEC 2027 Gombe gubernatorial list, despite prior judicial affirmation of his standing, raises significant questions about the Commission's compliance with legal pronouncements.

The three-day ultimatum issued by the PDP lawyers, led by Ahmed Raji SAN, serves as a direct challenge to INEC to rectify what they perceive as an unexplained and unlawful exclusion. This case highlights a crucial aspect of electoral law: the distinction between the conduct of a primary election and the fundamental eligibility of a candidate based on party membership. The Federal High Court's rulings in FHC/GM/CS/9/2026 and FHC/GM/CS/10/2026 provided clear guidance on Professor Pantami's status, and the current dispute centers on whether INEC will fully implement the spirit and letter of those judgments in the context of the 2027 election cycle.

Lawyers and compliance officers should monitor how INEC responds to judicial directives regarding candidate eligibility and the publication of names, particularly when court judgments clarify membership status despite primary nullifications. This case highlights the importance of ensuring INEC's strict adherence to court orders in electoral processes.

Source: Original reporting via Punch Newspaper