INEC Clears Pantami for 2027 Gombe Governorship Race, Pending Court Ruling

From David Omokuvie

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has cleared former Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Professor Isa Ali Pantami, to contest the 2027 Gombe State governorship election on the platform of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), although his candidacy remains subject to the outcome of a pending court case.

INEC Chairman of Information and Voter Education, Mohammed Haruna, confirmed the development on Friday, saying the commission considered Pantami’s petition and found it meritorious.

Pantami’s clearance follows weeks of uncertainty after his name was omitted from INEC’s final list of governorship candidates released on October 10, leaving the PDP without a candidate in Gombe State.

The controversy arose from legal disputes surrounding the PDP governorship primary and questions about Pantami’s membership of the party.

A Federal High Court sitting in Gombe had, on September 24, nullified the earlier primary that produced Pantami and ordered a fresh exercise. The PDP subsequently conducted a rerun on September 29, in which Pantami emerged winner with 2,054 votes. His closest challenger, Khamisu Mailantarki, polled 389 votes, while Aliyu Garry received 112 votes.

However, Mailantarki challenged the outcome, arguing that Pantami was not eligible to participate because he allegedly joined the PDP after the deadline for submission of the party’s membership register to INEC.

Pantami had defected from the All-Progressives Congress (APC) to the PDP in May 2026.

Following his exclusion from the final list, Pantami and the PDP petitioned INEC, asking the commission to review its decision and include his name.

The commission’s latest decision has now opened the way for his participation in the 2027 race, subject to the final determination of the pending litigation.

INEC also reviewed petitions submitted by political parties and candidates challenging the final lists for the 2027 governorship and State Houses of Assembly elections.

The commission said it received 69 petitions from 12 political parties across 26 states concerning governorship candidates. Of these, 41 were successful, while 28 were rejected.

For the State Houses of Assembly elections, INEC received 61 petitions from 11 political parties across 11 states, approving 25 and rejecting 36.

The commission said the complaints included the omission of political parties, the inclusion of candidates whose names were not on their parties’ submitted membership registers and cases of alleged multiple nominations.

INEC also rejected a petition by Ladi Adebutu, the PDP governorship candidate in Ogun State, who had sought a review of his exclusion from the list.

The commission said the affected candidates, political parties and states would be reflected in an updated list on its website.