Omission: Pantami Gives INEC 3 Days; Delta Candidate Seeks N1bn Damages

Former Minister of Communications and Digital Economy and governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Gombe State, Professor Isa Pantami, has demanded the inclusion of his name in the list of qualified candidates for the state’s election next year.

Prof. Pantami is contesting the governorship seat of the state.

Meanwhile, the African Democratic Congress (ADC) senatorial candidate for Delta South, Dr. Austin Orette, is seeking N1 billion in punitive damages from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) over the omission of his name from the list of candidates for the January 16, 2027 election.

Orette accused the commission of reckless conduct, alleging that its action had disrupted his campaign and violated his rights as the party’s candidate.

The tough stance of the candidates comes as INEC declares its official position on the Supreme Court verdict on the Electoral Act today.

The apex court verdict, which upheld INEC’s revised timetable and schedule of activities for the 2027 general elections, had led to concerns that some candidates in the 2027 general election may be ineligible on account of issues surrounding party registers and their membership as of the time primaries were conducted.

INEC National Commissioner for Information and Voter Education, Mohammed Haruna, last Wednesday when he appeared on Trust TV’s Daily Politics programme, however, said the commission is expected to make a definite pronouncement on the implications of the Supreme Court judgement by next Tuesday.

*Pantami Writes INEC*

In a letter to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) through his lawyer, Dr. Ahmed Raji, SAN, the PDP candidate gave INEC till October 14, 2026, to include his name in the list.

According to him, the publication of his name should also be given the wide publicity and attention it gave the earlier list released.

Dr. Raji wrote: “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;

“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.”

He described the omission of his name from the list released by INEC as unlawful and demanded an explanation as to why his name was omitted.

He said in the letter that he was duly nominated by his party but was omitted from the final list without explanation.

Dr. Raji said in the letter dated October 12, 2026: “We act as Solicitors to Professor Isa Ali Ibrahim and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) (hereinafter referred to as ‘our Clients’) and on their firm instructions, write in respect of the publication by the Commission on the 10th day of October, 2026, of the Final List of Candidates for the 2027 general elections from which the name of Prof. Isa Ali Ibrahim, the duly nominated candidate of the PDP for the office of Governor of Gombe State, was omitted without any reason being given.

“Professor Isa Ali Ibrahim is a duly registered member of the PDP at Pantami Ward, Gombe State. The updated PDP membership register (containing his name) was duly submitted to the Commission. 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 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 Federal High Court, Gombe. The second and fourth questions submitted for determination, respectively in the Originating Summons, squarely challenged the membership of Isa Ali Ibrahim, contending that his name not being 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.

“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.’

“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 (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.

“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.”

Orette Seeks N1bn Damages

The ADC senatorial candidate for Delta South, Dr. Austin Orette, has asked the court to grant him N1 billion in punitive damages against INEC for omitting his name from the list of candidates for the January 16, 2027 election.

Speaking on Sunday in Asaba after arriving from Abuja, he said his political opponents were using the omission to tell voters that he would not participate in the election.

In his suit before the Federal High Court, Abuja, Orette is asking the court to intervene and compel INEC to recognise him as the ADC’s candidate for the senatorial election.

He said the party conducted its primary election on May 22, 2026, through the direct primary method, in which he emerged as the winner with 10,950 votes.

According to him, he was the sole aspirant and subsequently completed the relevant nomination forms, which were submitted to the ADC’s national secretariat for onward transmission to INEC.

Orette said INEC amended its election timetable on July 12, 2026, extending the deadline for political parties to submit candidates for the presidential and National Assembly elections to July 14.

He alleged that the ADC forwarded his name to the commission on July 14 as its duly nominated candidate for the Delta South senatorial seat.

However, he said his name was missing when INEC published its list of senatorial candidates on September 12, 2026.

Orette said the omission had adversely affected his campaign, adding that he had visited six of the eight local government areas in the district to solicit votes before suspending campaign activities over the matter.

He accused INEC of failing to maintain neutrality in the electoral process.

Orette urged the court to intervene, arguing that INEC was obligated to publish his name after receiving the party’s nomination.

He warned that his participation in the election could be jeopardised if the court did not resolve the dispute urgently.