2027: INEC lists 16 Gombe governorship candidates, Pantami missing

The name of former Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Professor Isa Ali Ibrahim Pantami, is missing from the final list of candidates released by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for the February 6, 2027 governorship election in Gombe State.

Pantami, who emerged as the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate after leaving the All Progressives Congress (APC) on May 19, was included in INEC’s provisional list published on August 29.

However, his name was absent from the final list, which contains 16 candidates cleared to contest the election.

The list includes Bala Bello Tinka of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Jamilu Isyaku Gwamna of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and Babayo Ardo Kumo of the Nigerian Democratic Congress (NDC).

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Other candidates are Zubairu Mu’azu Halilu of the Labour Party, Lamela L. Silas of the Allied Peoples Movement (APM), Ibrahim Jalo Abubakar of the Peoples Redemption Party (PRP) and Adamu Mohammed Ma’aji of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), among others.

Pantami’s omission comes after a legal dispute over his emergence as the PDP candidate.

Ahmed Mailantarki Mailantarki, another aspirant who contested the party’s governorship ticket, challenged the outcome of the primary election in court.

A Federal High Court sitting in Gombe subsequently nullified the primary and ordered the PDP to conduct a fresh election, which Pantami won again.

His participation in the 2027 election later became a subject of uncertainty following a September 24 Supreme Court judgment on provisions of the Electoral Act 2026 concerning political party membership registers and candidates’ eligibility.

The judgment restored Sections 77(5), (6) and (7), as well as Section 84(2), of the Act, which address party membership records and requirements relating to the nomination of candidates.

The ruling raised questions about the eligibility of candidates whose names were not included in party membership registers submitted to INEC within the stipulated period.

INEC National Commissioner Mohammed Haruna had also indicated that some political parties might be unable to field candidates in the 2027 elections because of the implications of the Supreme Court ruling.

He made the remarks during an appearance on Trust TV’s Daily Politics programme.

INEC had earlier announced that it would publish the final list of candidates in line with the electoral timetable, following a commitment by its chairman, Professor Joash Amupitan, at a press conference in Abuja.

However, the commission had not publicly stated the specific reason for Pantami’s absence from the final list as of the time of filing this report.

(Trust)