Pantami’s Camp Commences Efforts to Address Omission from INEC Final Governorship Candidates List

According to report by The Nation on Sunday, October 11, 2026, the camp of former Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Professor Isa Pantami, has commenced efforts to address the omission of his name from the Independent National Electoral Commission’s (INEC) list of governorship candidates for the 2027 election in Gombe State.

The development has raised fresh concerns over the Peoples Democratic Party’s (PDP) governorship ticket, coming amid ongoing legal disputes and disagreements over Pantami’s eligibility to contest the election.

In a statement issued on October 10, Pantami’s campaign organisation and the Pantamiyya Movement appealed to supporters to remain calm, describing the omission as an issue being handled through discussions with the relevant authorities.

The statement, signed by Professor Suleiman Mohammed Gombe, disclosed that the campaign’s legal and liaison teams were engaging the appropriate organs of the PDP and INEC to correct the situation within the period permitted by law.

The omission occurred less than two weeks after Pantami emerged victorious in the PDP’s court-ordered rerun governorship primary held across Gombe State on September 29.

Pantami secured 2,054 votes, defeating Khamisu Mailantarki, who polled 389 votes, while Aliyu Garry finished third with 112 votes.

The rerun was conducted after a Federal High Court in Gombe, on September 24, nullified the party’s earlier primary that produced Pantami as its candidate.

Following his victory, Pantami pledged to unite the PDP and work towards returning the party to the Gombe State Government House in 2027.

However, Mailantarki has rejected the rerun result, insisting that Pantami was not eligible to participate because he allegedly joined the PDP after the May 10 deadline for submission of party membership registers to INEC.

Pantami had defected from the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) on May 19, 2026, following disagreements with the Gombe APC leadership over the governorship contest.

Garry has also rejected the rerun, describing it as defective and threatening legal action.

The dispute leaves the PDP facing another challenge as it seeks to resolve its governorship ticket ahead of the 2027 election.

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