PDP Gives INEC Three-Day Ultimatum to Publish Pantami’s Name

Lawyers representing the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its Gombe State governorship candidate, Isa Ali Ibrahim Pantami, have given the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) a three-day ultimatum to publish his name on the final list of candidates for the 2027 election.

The legal team, led by Senior Advocate of Nigeria Ahmed Raji, made the demand in a letter dated October 12, 2026, addressed to the INEC chairman. The lawyers described the omission of Ibrahim’s name from the list published on October 10 as unlawful and called for his inclusion with the same prominence accorded to other candidates.

In the letter, the lawyers said Ibrahim was a registered PDP member in Pantami Ward, Gombe State, and had completed the party’s nomination process. They stated that he purchased the expression of interest and nomination forms, passed screening and clearance, and won the party’s governorship primary on May 26, 2026.

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According to the legal team, the PDP subsequently submitted Ibrahim’s personal particulars, including Form EC9, to INEC on August 8 in line with Section 29(1) of the Electoral Act 2026. The commission published his name on August 29 under Section 29(3) of the Act, and the lawyers said INEC did not raise any objection to his candidacy at the time.

The May primary was later challenged at the High Court in Gombe in two separate suits: FHC/GM/CS/9/2026, filed by Usman Aliyu, also known as Garry, against the PDP and two others, and FHC/GM/CS/10/2026, filed by Khamisu Ahmed and another plaintiff against the party and other defendants.

The lawyers said the plaintiffs questioned Ibrahim’s membership of the PDP and eligibility to contest the primary, arguing that his name was missing from the membership register submitted to INEC.

The letter read in part, “Professor Isa Ali Ibrahim is a duly registered member of the PDP at Pantami Ward, Gombe State. He duly submitted the updated PDP membership register (containing his name) to the Commission (see Annexure A hereto). He purchased the PDP Expression of Interest and Nomination Forms 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.

Isa Ali Ibrahim Pantami, — Isa Ali Ibrahim Pantami. Credit: Guardian.

“The primary of 26th May, 2026, was thereafter challenged in Suit No. FHC/GM/CS/9/2026 between Usman Aliyu (Garry) v. PDP & 2 Ors and Suit No. FHC/GM/CS/10/2026 between Khamisu Ahmed & Anor v. PDP & 2 Ors before the High Court, Gombe. The second and fourth questions submitted for determination in the Originating Summons squarely challenged Isa Ali Ibrahim’s membership, contending that, because his name was not in the PDP register submitted to the Commission, he was ineligible to contest the primary. Those issues were fully litigated on affidavit evidence and determined.”

However, they maintained that the court did not find Ibrahim ineligible to belong to the party or become its governorship candidate. They said the membership claims were resolved against the plaintiffs, with the court accepting the party’s recognition of Ibrahim as a member, supported by his membership card and the party register.

The lawyers explained that, in judgments delivered on September 24, the court nullified the May 26 primary over issues concerning how it was conducted and ordered the PDP to organise a fresh exercise within 30 days. The court also directed that the plaintiff and other aspirants whose clearance from the May 14 screening remained valid be allowed to participate.

According to the legal team, the court restrained the PDP and INEC from recognising or giving effect to any nomination arising from the annulled May primary.

They said the PDP notified INEC of the court-ordered exercise and conducted a fresh governorship primary on September 29, 2026, in accordance with the Electoral Act, the party’s constitution and its electoral guidelines.

The lawyers added that INEC officials attended and monitored the exercise, with the commission’s monitoring report still in its custody. Ibrahim emerged as the winner and was again submitted to the commission as the party’s nominee.

The letter added, “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 Court’s consequential orders restrained the PDP and the Commission only from recognising, accepting, publishing or giving effect to a nomination ‘arising from the exercise of 26 May 2026′ (judgments annexed as Annexures B and C, respectively).

“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 Commission conducted the exercise in accordance with the Electoral Act, 2026, the PDP Constitution and its Electoral Guidelines, and officials of the Commission attended, observed and monitored it; the Commission’s monitoring report is in its custody (Annexure D hereto).

“At the conclusion of that exercise, Isa Ali Ibrahim emerged the winner, and his name was again submitted to the Commission as the nominated candidate of the PDP.”

The legal team argued that INEC could not independently remove a nominated candidate from the list without a court order. Citing previous Supreme Court and Court of Appeal decisions, including Dingyadi & Anor v. INEC & Ors (2011), Raymond v. INEC & Ors (2023) and AC & Anor v. INEC (2007), they said the commission’s role in party primaries was to observe, monitor and report on the process, rather than disqualify candidates.

They therefore demanded that INEC publish Ibrahim’s name as the PDP candidate for Gombe State governor by Wednesday, October 14, and confirm in writing the corrective steps taken.

They stated, “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.

“In the circumstances, we have our Clients’ 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.

“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.”