The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has omitted Professor Isa Pantami from the final list of governorship candidates for Gombe State, despite the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) conducting a fresh primary in which he emerged as the party's flagbearer. The exclusion, published on October 10, 2026, signals that INEC does not consider Pantami's candidacy valid under current electoral law.
Why INEC excluded Pantami
INEC grounded its decision in the Supreme Court's ruling in INEC v. Zenith Labour Party, which upheld the validity of Section 77 of the Electoral Act 2022. That judgment reinforced the requirement that political parties must submit their membership registers to INEC no later than 21 days before conducting any primary, congress, or convention.
The court affirmed that only members whose names appear in a duly submitted register are eligible to vote or contest in such internal party exercises. Where a party fails to meet this condition, any primary conducted on that basis risks being rendered invalid, regardless of the outcome.
What this means for the Gombe PDP race
The implication for Pantami is significant. Even though the PDP held a fresh primary and he won, INEC's position appears to be that the process did not meet the statutory requirements set out in the Electoral Act, as interpreted by the Supreme Court. His exclusion from the final candidate list effectively bars him from contesting the Gombe governorship election under the PDP platform unless the matter is successfully challenged in court.
Pantami, a former Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, has been a prominent political figure in Gombe State and had positioned himself as a key contender for the governorship. INEC has not publicly issued a detailed statement explaining the basis for Pantami's exclusion beyond what is implied by the applicable legal framework.
The development comes as part of INEC's broader enforcement of the Supreme Court's interpretation of the Electoral Act, which has implications for other states where parties may have conducted primaries without proper register submissions. Political analysts note that the ruling could affect multiple candidacies across the country if parties fail to comply with the 21-day register requirement.
Pantami's legal team has not yet indicated whether they will challenge the exclusion in court. The PDP in Gombe State has not issued an official response to INEC's decision. The final list, once published, determines which candidates are eligible to appear on the ballot for the Gombe governorship election, scheduled for 2027.
