2027: Pantami’s Camp Reacts As Group Accuses INEC Of Contradiction Over Candidates’ Exclusion

A legal representative of Professor Isa Ali Ibrahim Pantami’s camp, Barrister Attahir Ibrahim, has accused the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) of contradicting itself over the exclusion of the former minister from the list of candidates for the 2027 Gombe State governorship election.

Ibrahim was reacting to concerns raised by the National Association of Achievers Movement (NAAM), which called on INEC to explain the exclusion of Pantami and other candidates alongside the inclusion of aspirants whose nomination circumstances have also attracted questions.

LEADERSHIP reports that Pantami emerged as the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate in a fresh primary conducted after earlier litigation over the party’s nomination process. However, his name was omitted from INEC’s final list of candidates for the 2027 election.

In his response, Ibrahim argued that INEC’s explanation for the omission of Pantami raised further questions, particularly regarding the timeline of the commission’s candidate list and the Supreme Court judgment on party membership registers and nomination procedures.

“My simple opinion is that the position of INEC is self-contradictory,” he told LEADERSHIP.

The lawyer argued that the commission had published the names of candidates whose circumstances were similar to Pantami’s, as well as that of a candidate he said had been disqualified by a court of competent jurisdiction.

According to Ibrahim, INEC, in responding to the controversy, maintained that the list had been compiled on September 12, 2026, before the Supreme Court delivered its judgment on September 24.

He questioned how a list prepared before the judgment could be considered compliant with the court’s ruling.

“Then how can a list compiled on 12/09/2026 be said to be in compliance with the judgment of the Supreme Court delivered on 24/09/2026?” he asked.

“I NEC simply ran away from one contradiction and fell into another. It is sad! But they can do damage control,” Ibrahim added.

The controversy follows a press Conference by NAAM on October 21 in Gombe, in which the group urged INEC to provide clear legal and factual explanations for the exclusion of Pantami in Gombe, Ladi Adebutu in Ogun State and Aminu Abdussalam Gwarzo in Kano State.

The group also sought clarification on the inclusion of Senator Shehu Buba Umar of the Peoples Redemption Party in Bauchi State, former Inspector-General of Police Mohammed Adamu of the Social Democratic Party in Nasarawa State and Kingsley Chinda of the All Progressives Congress in Rivers State.

NAAM said it was not calling for the automatic reinstatement of excluded candidates or the disqualification of those whose names appeared on the list, but for transparency, due process and consistent application of the Electoral Act 2026.

The group urged INEC to explain any differences in the legal circumstances of the candidates and to take corrective action where an administrative error or unlawful decision is established.