The political landscape in Gombe State ahead of the 2027 governorship election has been thrown into fresh uncertainty following the omission of former Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Isa Ali Pantami, from the list of governorship candidates published by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
The development comes amid prolonged legal battles, internal divisions within the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and controversy surrounding a court-ordered rerun of the party’s governorship primary election.
Pantami had won the rerun primary conducted by the PDP across polling units in Gombe State on September 29, 2026, securing 2,054 votes under the direct primary system.
His closest rival, Khamisu Mailantarki, polled 389 votes, while Aliyu Garry came third with 112 votes.
The rerun followed a September 24, 2026, ruling by the Federal High Court in Gombe, which nullified the earlier primary that had produced Pantami as the party’s governorship candidate.
After his victory, the former minister pledged to unite the PDP and lead the party back to the Gombe State Government House in 2027, promising to pursue policies aimed at building a better state.
However, his emergence as the party’s candidate continued to face opposition from other aspirants, who questioned the legitimacy of the exercise and his eligibility to contest.
Mailantarki, who finished second, rejected the outcome and demanded recognition as the party’s validly nominated candidate.
He argued that Pantami’s votes should be invalidated on the grounds that the former minister joined the PDP after the May 10 deadline for submission of the party’s membership register to INEC.
Pantami had defected from the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in a letter dated May 19, 2026, following his public criticism of the Gombe APC leadership over what he alleged was preferential treatment for fellow governorship aspirant Jamilu Gwamna.
Garry, who finished third in the rerun, also rejected the results, describing the process as fundamentally flawed and vowing to seek legal redress.
The controversy has now intensified following INEC’s publication of its list of governorship candidates, which conspicuously excluded Pantami’s name.
The omission has raised questions about the PDP’s representation in the 2027 Gombe governorship election and the status of the party’s nomination process.
Reacting to the development, the Pantami Campaign Organisation and the Pantamiyya Movement issued a statement on October 10, 2026, urging supporters to remain calm while describing the omission as a temporary challenge.
The statement, signed by Professor Suleiman Mohammed Gombe, said the campaign’s legal and liaison teams were engaging relevant party organs and INEC to address the issue within the period allowed by law.
“We are aware of the people working behind the scenes to frustrate good and responsible leadership in Gombe State, but our legal and liaison teams are already engaging with the relevant organs of the party and INEC to ensure full compliance and rectification within the window provided by law. By the grace of Allah, this matter will be resolved,” the statement said.
The campaign organisation expressed confidence that the matter would be resolved, while appealing to supporters to remain peaceful as consultations and legal efforts continued.
With Pantami’s name missing from the published list, attention is now focused on the next steps by the PDP, the former minister’s legal team and INEC, as the dispute over the party’s governorship ticket threatens to complicate its preparations for the 2027 election.
