Pantami Gives INEC 3 Days to Include His Name on 2027 Governorship Candidates’ List

Former Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Professor Isa Pantami, has asked the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to include his name in the final list of candidates for the 2027 governorship election or face legal action.

 

The demand was contained in a letter dated Monday and addressed to INEC Chairman, Joash Amupitan, by Pantami’s legal team led by Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Ahmed Raji.

 

The development follows the omission of Pantami’s name from the list of candidates published by INEC on October 10.

 

His lawyers described the omission as unlawful and unexplained, insisting that their client emerged as the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate in a fresh primary conducted in compliance with court orders.

 

In the letter jointly signed by Raji, A.T. Kehinde, Abdul Mohammed, Wale Balogun and Chief Tunde Falola, the legal team gave INEC until Wednesday, October 14, to publish Pantami’s name alongside those of other candidates.

 

The lawyers said Pantami, a registered PDP member in Pantami Ward, Gombe State, participated in the party’s governorship primary held on May 26, 2026, where he emerged as the winner.

 

According to them, the PDP forwarded his personal details to INEC on August 8, and the commission subsequently published his name on August 29 without raising any objection.

 

The letter explained that the May 26 primary was challenged in two suits before the Federal High Court in Gombe, marked FHC/GM/CS/9/2026 and FHC/GM/CS/10/2026.

 

Although the court nullified the primary over the manner in which it was conducted, Pantami’s lawyers maintained that it upheld his eligibility and party membership.

 

Citing the judgment in one of the suits, the lawyers quoted the court as saying: “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.”

 

On the second suit, they quoted the court as stating: “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 legal team said the court recognised the PDP’s authority to determine its membership, noting that the party had presented a membership card and register bearing Pantami’s name.

 

They added that in judgments delivered on September 24, the court directed the PDP to conduct a fresh governorship primary within 30 days, in accordance with the Electoral Act, 2026, the party’s constitution and its guidelines.

 

According to the lawyers, the court limited its consequential orders to nominations arising from the nullified May 26 primary.

 

“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 letter stated.