The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, governorship candidate in Gombe State, Professor Isa Ali Ibrahim, has demanded that the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, publish his name on the final list of candidates for the 2027 general elections, alleging that the commission omitted him without explanation.
The candidate, through his team of solicitors led by Ahmed Raji, SAN, gave INEC until Wednesday, October 14, to publish his name as the PDP candidate for the Gombe State governorship election.
In a letter dated October 12 and addressed to the INEC chairman, the lawyers described the omission as “unlawful and unexplained”.
The letter, signed by Ahmed Raji, SAN; A.T. Kehinde, SAN; Abdul Mohammed, SAN; Wale Balogun, SAN; and Chief Tunde Falola, Esq., demanded that the commission correct what they said was an error in the final list published on October 10.
The lawyers argued that Mr Pantami emerged as the PDP candidate after a fresh governorship primary conducted on September 29, in compliance with two judgments delivered by the Federal High Court in Gombe on September 24.
They said INEC officials attended, observed and monitored the fresh primary, adding that the commission had custody of the monitoring report.
According to the letter, the PDP had also submitted Ibrahim’s name to INEC after he emerged victorious in the fresh exercise.
The lawyers maintained that the commission had no legal basis to exclude their client from the final list, arguing that the judgments of the Federal High Court did not disqualify him from contesting the election.
They said the court had nullified the earlier primary conducted on May 26 over issues relating to the conduct of the exercise and directed the PDP to organise a fresh primary within 30 days.
The court, according to the lawyers, ordered the party to conduct the exercise in line with the Electoral Act 2026, its constitution and electoral guidelines, while allowing the plaintiff and other aspirants whose clearance from the May 14 screening exercise remained valid to participate.
The lawyers said the consequential orders restrained the PDP and INEC from recognising or giving effect to any nomination arising from the May 26 primary.
