Professor Isa Ali Ibrahim Pantami’s ambition to become governor of Gombe State has been marked by controversy, legal challenges and uncertainty over his place in the 2027 governorship race, following reports that his name is missing from the Independent National Electoral Commission’s final list of candidates.
The former Minister of Communications and Digital Economy emerged as the Peoples Democratic Party’s governorship candidate after a series of disputes surrounding the party’s nomination process. However, his reported absence from INEC’s final list has raised fresh questions about the status of his candidacy and the political challenges facing his bid to lead Gombe State.
Pantami’s experience highlights the difficulties that can confront political aspirants even after securing a party ticket, particularly when internal party disputes spill into the courts and affect the electoral process.
From APC Setback to PDP: A Change of Political Platform
Pantami’s governorship journey encountered its first major hurdle within the All Progressives Congress (APC), the platform through which he initially sought to pursue his ambition.
The party eventually settled on Jamilu Isyaku Gwamna as its consensus candidate, prompting Pantami to withdraw from the APC governorship primary. He subsequently moved to the PDP, where his entry reshaped the contest for the opposition party’s ticket.
His move offered a new route to the governorship, but it also placed him at the centre of a fresh contest involving established aspirants within the PDP. The political transition therefore marked a turning point in his campaign, as he sought to convert his national profile into support for a state-level political ambition.
Court Nullifies Pantami’s First PDP Governorship Ticket
The legal battle intensified after Pantami emerged as the PDP’s governorship candidate through a voice affirmation at the party’s primary on May 26, 2026. The party subsequently announced him as its candidate in June, but the process faced challenges from fellow aspirants Khamisu Mailantarki and Usman Aliyu Garry.
On September 24, 2026, the Federal High Court in Gombe nullified the primary and ordered the PDP to conduct a fresh exercise within 30 days. Justice Amina Aliyu Mohammed ruled that the process failed to comply with the party’s procedures and relevant electoral provisions, leading to the exclusion of some aspirants who had been cleared to participate.
The court, however, declined the request to disqualify Pantami from the party or remove him as a PDP member over allegations concerning his previous APC membership. The judgment therefore invalidated the earlier primary without automatically barring him from contesting a fresh one.
For Pantami, the ruling meant that securing the party’s ticket once was no longer enough. He had to return to the contest under a fresh process while facing the same aspirants whose legal challenge had overturned his initial emergence.
Pantami Wins Fresh Primary, but Questions Remain
Despite the court setback, Pantami returned to the contest and won the PDP’s governorship primary rerun on September 29, 2026.
He polled 2,054 votes in the direct primary conducted across Gombe State’s 11 local government areas, defeating Mailantarki, who received 389 votes, and Garry, who scored 112 votes. The result appeared to restore his position as the party’s flag bearer following the nullification of the earlier exercise.
However, his victory in the rerun did not immediately end the legal and electoral questions surrounding his candidacy. Attention subsequently shifted to the requirements governing party membership registers and candidate nominations, following a Supreme Court ruling on provisions of the Electoral Act 2026.
The controversy placed renewed attention on whether the procedures followed by the party and the timing of Pantami’s movement from the APC to the PDP satisfied the applicable electoral requirements.
INEC’s Final List Raises Fresh Uncertainty
The latest development in Pantami’s political journey is the reported omission of his name from INEC’s final list of governorship candidates for Gombe State.
The development comes after he won the PDP’s rerun primary, creating a new source of uncertainty for his ambition to contest the 2027 governorship election.
INEC Chairman, Professor Joash Amupitan, had indicated that the commission would address questions arising from the electoral process and the implications of the Supreme Court’s decision. Reports published ahead of the final list also identified Pantami among the candidates whose nominations could face scrutiny over party membership requirements.
However, the precise reason for Pantami’s reported omission has not been independently established in the information currently available. INEC’s official explanation, alongside any relevant court orders or formal communication to the PDP, will be important in determining the status of his candidacy.
The distinction matters because winning a party primary and appearing on the electoral commission’s final list are separate stages of the nomination process.
What Pantami’s Political Struggles Mean for His 2027 Ambition
Pantami’s journey from the APC to the PDP, the nullification of his first primary victory, his subsequent win in the rerun and the reported omission from INEC’s final list illustrate the legal and political hurdles that can shape an election campaign before voters cast their ballots.
His experience also highlights the importance of transparent party primaries, compliance with electoral laws and timely resolution of disputes involving candidates.
For the former minister, the immediate challenge is to establish the status of his nomination and determine whether any available legal or administrative process could affect his participation in the election.
Until the reasons for his reported omission are clarified, the future of Pantami’s governorship ambition remains uncertain. His next steps, the PDP’s response and INEC’s position could prove decisive in determining whether he remains in contention for the Gombe State governorship in 2027.
