Pantami’s camp reacts to INEC’s omission of Gombe PDP candidate

The camp of Professor Isa Ali Ibrahim Pantami, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate in Gombe State, has reacted to the omission of his name from the final list of candidates released by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for the February 6, 2027 governorship election.

In a statement issued on Saturday, Professor Suleiman Mohammed Gombe urged supporters of Pantami and the Pantamiyya Movement to remain calm, expressing confidence that the issue would be resolved through the appropriate legal and administrative channels.

Pantami’s name was missing from INEC’s final list despite his emergence as the PDP candidate in a fresh primary election conducted on September 29, following a Federal High Court order.

Suleiman, who issued the statement on his personal social media handle, acknowledged the concerns raised by the development among PDP supporters and members of the Pantamiyya Movement in Gombe State and beyond.

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He described the omission as a temporary challenge rather than a final determination of Pantami’s eligibility to contest the election.

“This is a temporary challenge and a normal part of the electoral process, not a final determination, in sha Allah,” he said.

According to him, Pantami’s legal and liaison teams were already engaging the relevant organs of the PDP and INEC to ensure compliance with the law and resolve the matter within the stipulated period.

Suleiman also alleged that some individuals were working behind the scenes to frustrate what he described as efforts to provide responsible leadership in Gombe State.

He, however, urged supporters not to lose hope or allow the development to distract them from their political activities.

He called on members of the PDP and the Pantamiyya Movement to remain united and continue their mobilisation, stressing that their commitment to service and the advancement of the people of Gombe State remained unchanged.

Pantami emerged as the PDP governorship candidate after leaving the All Progressives Congress (APC). His candidacy was challenged by another aspirant, Ahmed Mailantarki Mailantarki, who contested the outcome of the party’s initial primary election.

A Federal High Court sitting in Gombe subsequently nullified the primary and ordered a fresh exercise, which Pantami won on September 29.

INEC has not publicly stated the specific reason for omitting Pantami’s name from the final list as of the time of filing this report.

The omission has raised questions about the status of the former minister’s governorship bid ahead of the February 6, 2027 election.