“In the circumstances, we have our Client’s firm and unequivocal instructions to demand, and we hereby demand that the Commission, on or before Wednesday the 14th day of October, 2026, publish and circulate the name of Professor Isa Ali Ibrahim as the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party for the office of Governor of Gombe State in the 2027 general elections…”
By Kabiru Abbas
ABUJA — The legal team of Professor Isa Ali Ibrahim (Pantami) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has issued a three-day ultimatum to the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, demanding the immediate publication of his name as the duly nominated governorship candidate for Gombe State in the 2027 general elections.
In a strongly worded petition dated October 12, 2026, addressed to the Chairman of INEC, Maitama, Abuja, and signed by Ahmed Raji, SAN, alongside A.T. Kehinde, SAN, Abdul Mohammed, SAN, Wale Balogun, SAN and Chief Tunde Falola, the lawyers described the omission of Pantami’s name from the final list published on October 10, 2026, as “unlawful and unexplained.”
The letter, titled “UNLAWFUL AND UNEXPLAINED OMISSION OF THE NAME OF PROFESSOR ISA ALI IBRAHIM THE NOMINATED CANDIDATE OF THE PDP FROM THE FINAL LIST OF CANDIDATES FOR THE OFFICE OF GOVERNOR OF GOMBE STATE FOR THE 2027 GENERAL ELECTIONS – DEMAND FOR IMMEDIATE PUBLICATION WITHIN THREE (3) DAYS”, is already generating political tension in Gombe State.
According to the solicitors, Ahmed Raji & Co., Professor Isa Ali Ibrahim is a duly registered member of the PDP at Pantami Ward, Gombe State, and that the updated PDP membership register containing his name was duly submitted to INEC.
The letter chronicled the steps taken by the party in compliance with the Electoral Act, 2026.
“He purchased the Expression of Interest and Nomination Forms of the PDP for the gubernatorial primary; After screening and clearance, he participated in the governorship primary election of the PDP, Gombe State, emerging as the winner on the 26th day of May, 2026. Thereafter, the PDP submitted his personal particulars (Form EC9) to the Commission on the 8th day of August, 2026 pursuant to Section 29(1) of the Electoral Act, 2026, and the Commission published his name on the 29th day of August, 2026 pursuant to Section 29(3) of the Act. Up to this point, no step was taken by the Commission to question any aspect of his emergence,” the petition stated.
The lawyers explained that the primary of May 26, 2026 was challenged in two suits — Suit No. FHC/GM/CS/9/2026 and Suit No. FHC/GM/CS/10/2026 — at the Federal High Court, Gombe, where the challengers specifically questioned Pantami’s membership of the PDP.
The letter quoted the judgment of the court verbatim to show that the issue of membership was resolved in favour of their client.
At page 57 of the judgment in Suit No. FHC/GM/CS/9/2026, the court held:
“I therefore find that the Plaintiff has not established that the 3rd Defendant was legally incapable of being recognised by the 1st Defendant as its member. Accordingly, question two is resolved against the Plaintiff. Question four concerns whether the 3rd Defendant validly emerged as the 1st Defendant’s gubernatorial candidate having regard to Sections 177(c) and 228(b) of the Constitution. Section 177(c) requires a person seeking election as Governor to be a member of, and sponsored by, a political party. I have already resolved the issue of membership against the Plaintiff.”
In the second suit, the court also ruled in favour of Pantami on the membership question. The petition quoted pages 65-66 of the judgment:
“As to PDP membership, even though the 2nd Defendant’s name does not appear in Exhibit A, that fact alone is not conclusive of his non-membership. The Supreme Court has consistently held that membership of a political party is ordinarily a matter within the domestic affairs of the party and that it is primarily for the party to determine who its members are. See Enang v. Asuquo & Ors supra. In the present case, the 1st Defendant recognises the 2nd Defendant as its member and has produced both a membership card and a register containing his name………Accordingly, the Plaintiff has not established the 2nd Defendant’s ineligibility on the grounds advanced. Question four is resolved against the Plaintiff.”
The lawyers noted that while the court nullified the May 26 primary on grounds relating to conduct of the exercise, it ordered a fresh primary within 30 days.
“By the two judgments of the 24th day of September, 2026, the Court nullified the primary of 26th May, 2026 on grounds relating to the conduct of that exercise, and directed the PDP to conduct a fresh gubernatorial primary election within 30 days, in accordance with the Electoral Act, 2026, its Constitution and its Electoral Guidelines, ‘affording the Plaintiff and all other aspirants whose clearance from the screening exercise of 14th May 2026 remains valid the opportunity to participate,'” the petition said.
The PDP, in compliance, conducted a fresh primary on September 29, 2026, which was monitored by INEC officials.
“In compliance with the Court Order, the PDP gave the Commission due notice of the court-ordered primary, and conducted the fresh gubernatorial primary election on Tuesday, the 29th day of September, 2026. The exercise was conducted in accordance with the Electoral Act, 2026, the Constitution of the PDP and its Electoral Guidelines, and was attended, observed and monitored by officials of the Commission, whose monitoring report is in the Commission’s custody,” the letter stated.
At that fresh primary, Professor Isa Ali Ibrahim again emerged winner and his name was resubmitted to INEC.
The Senior Advocates argued that INEC has no powers to disqualify a candidate whose emergence was monitored by it and whose membership issue has been settled by a court of competent jurisdiction.
“It is settled law, binding on the Commission, that the removal of a nominated candidate’s name is exclusively a judicial act: DINGYADI & ANOR v. INEC & ORS (2011) LPELR-950(SC); RAYMOND v. INEC & ORS (2023) LPELR-61366(CA); AC & ANOR v. INEC (2007) LPELR-66(SC). The Commission’s role in primaries is to attend, observe, monitor and report, not to disqualify, and not to cherry-pick,” the letter emphasized.
Consequently, the lawyers demanded that INEC rectify the omission within 72 hours.
“In the circumstances, we have our Client’s firm and unequivocal instructions to demand, and we hereby demand that the Commission, on or before Wednesday the 14th day of October, 2026, publish and circulate the name of Professor Isa Ali Ibrahim as the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party for the office of Governor of Gombe State in the 2027 general elections, in the same manner and with the same prominence as the names of all other candidates published on the 10th day of October, 2026,” Raji demanded.
“We trust that the Commission, as an impartial electoral umpire committed to the rule of law and compliance with judicial orders, will take immediate corrective action and confirm in writing the steps taken to resolve this matter,” the petition concluded.
As at the time of filing this report, INEC was yet to officially respond to the petition.