The omission of former Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Professor Isa Pantami, from the Independent National Electoral Commission’s (INEC) list of governorship candidates has added another layer to the dispute over the Peoples Democratic Party’s (PDP) ticket in Gombe State ahead of the 2027 election.
The development follows a series of legal battles and internal disputes within the opposition party over Pantami’s eligibility to contest the election.
Court-Ordered Rerun
Pantami won the PDP’s rerun governorship primary conducted across polling units in Gombe State using the direct primary model on September 29, 2026.
The former minister polled 2,054 votes to defeat his closest rival, Khamisu Mailantarki, who received 389 votes, while Aliyu Garry garnered 112 votes.
The rerun followed a September 24, 2026, ruling by a Federal High Court sitting in Gombe, which nullified the earlier primary that produced Pantami as the party’s flagbearer. The PDP conducted the repeat exercise in compliance with the court’s directive.
After his victory, Pantami pledged to unite the party and lead the PDP back to the Gombe State Government House in 2027, promising to build a better state.
Eligibility Claims And Defection Dispute
Despite Pantami’s victory in the rerun, his candidacy faced opposition from fellow aspirants.
Mailantarki rejected the outcome and demanded to be declared the party’s validly nominated candidate.
He argued that Pantami’s 2,054 votes should be voided on eligibility grounds, alleging that the former minister joined the PDP after the May 10 deadline by which the party’s official register had been submitted to INEC.
Pantami, who served under the administration of late former President Muhammadu Buhari, defected from the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in a letter dated May 19, 2026, after publicly criticising the Gombe APC leadership for allegedly favouring fellow aspirant Jamilu Gwamna.
Garry, the second runner-up, also rejected the rerun results, describing the process as fundamentally flawed and vowing to seek legal redress.
Pantami Camp Reacts To INEC Omission
Pantami’s name was missing from INEC’s published list of candidates, released in fulfilment of a commitment made by the commission’s national chairman during a recent media briefing in Abuja.
Reacting to Pantami’s omission from INEC’s published list of candidates, the Pantami Campaign Organization and the Pantamiyya Movement issued a statement on October 10, 2026, urging supporters to remain calm and describing the development as a “temporary challenge.”
The statement, signed by Professor Suleiman Mohammed Gombe, said the campaign’s legal and liaison teams were engaging the relevant organs of the party and INEC to secure a resolution within the period allowed by law.
“We are aware of the people working behind the scenes to frustrate good and responsible leadership in Gombe State, but our legal and liaison teams are already engaging with the relevant organs of the party and INEC to ensure full compliance and rectification within the window provided by law. By the grace of Allah, this matter will be resolved,” the statement said.
Uncertain Future For Gombe PDP
With Pantami’s name absent from INEC’s list, questions remain over the PDP’s representation in the Gombe governorship race.
It remains to be seen whether the campaign’s engagements with the party and INEC will lead to the inclusion of Pantami’s name, whether Mailantarki’s eligibility challenge will affect the nomination, or whether the PDP will need to take further steps before the 2027 general elections.
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