By 247ureports.com
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has left Professor Isa Ali Ibrahim Pantami, the former Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, off its final list of candidates for the February 6, 2027 governorship election in Gombe State. The list carries no candidate from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) at all.
The List
The final list, signed by INEC Secretary Rose Oriaran-Anthony and published on the commission’s website on Saturday, October 10, names 16 candidates with their running mates. They include Jamilu Isyaku Gwamna of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Bala Bello Tinka of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Babayo Ardo Kumo of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) and Zubairu Mu’azu Halilu of the Labour Party. Pantami’s name, which appeared on INEC’s provisional list on August 29, is not on it.
The document does not say why he was left out or why the PDP has no candidate. The omission comes the same day INEC also left out PDP candidate Ladi Adebutu and his running mate from the final Ogun State list, which names 13 candidates and carries no PDP candidate either.
How Pantami Got There
Pantami’s path to the ticket was already contested. A PDP aspirant, Ahmed Mailantarki, challenged the party’s governorship primary of May 26, 2026, and a Federal High Court in Gombe nullified it and ordered a fresh exercise. Pantami then won the rerun primary on September 29. A rival later questioned his eligibility to take part in the rerun, according to Premium Times.
What Is Not Clear
Some outlets suggest INEC does not consider his candidacy valid under current law, and some link the omission to a Supreme Court judgment affecting PDP candidates. Others point to the dispute over the primary that produced him. INEC has not explained itself, and 247ureports.com could not confirm the reason.
The Ogun case may offer a clue. INEC commissioner Mohammed Haruna said last week that parties which failed to meet the requirements for submitting a membership register would not be allowed to field affected candidates or substitute them. Section 32(2) of the Electoral Act 2026 gives parties 14 days to notify INEC in writing, with an affidavit, if a nominated candidate’s name is missing from the submitted register. Whether any of this applies to Gombe has not been stated.
Pantami’s Camp
The Pantami campaign organisation has expressed concern over the omission and assured supporters that efforts are under way to address it. His camp has not said whether it will go to court, though his exclusion effectively bars him from the race under the PDP platform unless the matter is successfully challenged. Reports also note that the party is split, with a Nyesom Wike-backed faction behind Pantami’s candidacy and some Gombe PDP aspirants rejecting his bid.
Not the First Time
INEC left a PDP candidate off the final list in Ekiti ahead of that state’s June 2026 election, after a court nullified the party’s primary, and that candidate went to court to compel INEC to publish his name. The pattern shows how disputes over primaries and party registers are shaping the 2027 candidate lists.
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As of this report, INEC and the Gombe PDP had not issued statements on the omission. 247ureports.com will update this story when INEC clarifies the position or Pantami’s camp files a challenge.
