The authorized group of the embattled governorship candidate of the Nyesom Wike-backed major opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Professor Isa Ali Ibrahim Pantami, has given Nigeria’s electoral umpire, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), three days inside which to publish his name because the candidate of the social gathering for the 2027 Gombe State governorship election.
The legal professionals, led by Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) Ahmed Raji, made the demand in a letter dated October 12, 2026, addressed to the INEC Chairman, following the omission of Pantami’s name from the ultimate list of governorship candidates printed by the fee on October 10.
The letter described the omission as “unlawful and unexplained” and demanded that INEC publish Pantami’s name alongside these of different candidates.
The authorized group, which additionally consists of A.T. Kehinde, Abdul Mohammed, Wale Balogun and Chief Tunde Falola, argued that Isa Ali Pantami emerged because the PDP candidate at a recent governorship main carried out on September 29, in compliance with a Federal High Court order.
The legal professionals said that the social gathering had duly notified INEC of the train, which was attended and monitored by officers of the fee.
According to the letter, Isa Ali Pantami initially gained the PDP governorship main held on May 26, 2026, after buying the nomination varieties, present process screening and taking part within the train.
His private particulars had been subsequently submitted to INEC on August 8, whereas the fee printed his name on August 29.
However, the May main was challenged in two separate fits earlier than the Federal High Court in Gombe: Usman Aliyu (Garry) v. PDP & 2 Others and Khamisu Ahmed & Another v. PDP & 2 Others.
In its judgments delivered on September 24, the courtroom nullified the May 26 main over points relating to its conduct and directed the PDP to conduct a recent governorship main inside 30 days.
The courtroom ordered the social gathering to conduct the recent train in accordance with the Electoral Act, 2026, its structure and electoral pointers, whereas permitting the plaintiffs and different aspirants whose clearance remained legitimate to take part.
The legal professionals opined that the courtroom’s consequential orders particularly restrained the PDP and INEC from recognising, accepting, publishing or giving impact to any nomination arising from the nullified May 26 main.
They maintained that the orders didn’t invalidate the recent main carried out on September 29.
The authorized group additionally cited parts of the 2 judgments during which the courtroom rejected challenges to Pantami’s PDP membership and eligibility to contest the governorship main.
In one of many judgments, the courtroom held that the plaintiffs had failed to set up that Isa Ali Pantami was legally incapable of being recognised as a member of the PDP.
In the opposite, the courtroom dominated that the absence of his name from a specific membership register was not, in itself, conclusive proof that he was not a celebration member, noting that the PDP had recognised him as a member and produced proof of his membership.
ALSO READ: US: ‘Should be easy to do’, Trump reacts to Christa Pike’s failed execution
The legal professionals argued that INEC’s function in social gathering primaries was to attend, observe, monitor and report on the method, fairly than independently disqualify a candidate.
Citing earlier judicial selections, together with Dingyadi & Anor v. INEC & Ors and AC & Anor v. INEC, they contended that the elimination of a nominated candidate’s name from the electoral course of was a matter for the courts.
They due to this fact urged INEC to right the omission by publishing Pantami’s name because the PDP governorship candidate by Wednesday, October 14, 2026, and to verify in writing the steps taken to deal with the matter.
The fee had but to state its causes for omitting Pantami’s name within the ultimate list, in accordance to the letter.
The dispute provides a recent authorized and political dimension to the PDP’s preparations for the 2027 governorship election in Gombe State.
WATCH TOP VIDEOS FROM NIGERIAN TRIBUNE TV
