The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has dropped former Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Prof. Isa Ali Ibrahim Pantami, from the final list of cleared candidates for the February 6, 2027, Gombe State governorship election.
​The final list was officially published on Saturday, October 10, 2026, at 5:00 PM at the INEC headquarters in Abuja and displayed across the commission’s office in Gombe State.
​Prof. Pantami, who featured on the provisional list published on August 29 after defecting to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on May 19, was omitted from the updated roster.
​His exclusion follows a September 24 landmark ruling by the Supreme Court of Nigeria, which reinstated Sections 77(5), (6), (7), and 84(2) of the Electoral Act 2026. The provisions mandate that political parties cannot sponsor candidates whose names are not included in the official register submitted to INEC within the legally stipulated deadline.
​Prior to the apex court judgment, a Federal High Court sitting in Gombe had on September 24 nullified Pantami’s initial May 26 primary election victory, prompting a court-ordered rerun on September 29, which he won with 2,054 votes.
However, his late entry into the party register following his defection left his eligibility untenable under the enforced electoral guidelines.
​Speaking on the development, INEC National Commissioner and Chairman of the Information and Voter Education Committee, Mohammed Haruna, confirmed that the commission complied strictly with statutory requirements and recent judicial declarations.
​”In strict adherence to the law and the recent Supreme Court judgment regarding political party membership registers, the commission is bound to display only candidates who have fully satisfied all statutory requirements.
Parties that failed to comply within the stipulated time frame cannot field candidates,” Haruna stated during an interview on Trust TV’s Daily Politics.
​Reacting to the decision shortly after the list was made public on Saturday evening, Prof. Pantami urged his supporters to remain calm while his legal team reviews the development.
​INEC cleared a total of 16 candidates to contest the upcoming election. Prominent political figures on the final list include; Jamilu Isyaku Gwamna, All Progressives Congress (APC), Bala Bello Tinka, African Democratic Congress (ADC), Babayo Ardo Kumo, Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Zubairu Mu’azu Halilu, Labour Party (LP), Ibrahim Jalo Abubakar, People’s Redemption Party (PRP) and Adamu Mohammed Ma’aji, Social Democratic Party (SDP)
​The official campaign window for the Gombe State governorship race is scheduled to open across the state in the coming days ahead of the February 2027 polls.
