Temporary Challenge’: Pantami Reacts as INEC Omits His Name From Gombe Governorship Candidates

The camp of Professor Isa Ali Pantami has reacted to the omission of the former Minister of Communications and Digital Economy and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) from the Independent National Electoral Commission’s (INEC) final list of candidates and political parties for the 2027 Gombe State governorship election.

In a statement issued by spokesperson for the Pantamiyya Movement, Professor Suleiman Mohammed, which Professor Pantami also shared on his Facebook account, described the development as a temporary challenge.

LEADERSHIP had earlier reported that while the names of other governorship candidates were included in the list, Pantami’s name and his People’s Democratic Party PDP are missing.

Professor Sulaiman urged supporters of the PDP and the Pantamiyya Movement to remain calm, hopeful and focused, insisting that the omission did not amount to a final determination of the former minister’s political future.

“This is a temporary challenge and a normal part of the electoral process, not a final determination, in sha Allah,” the statement said.

The statement said Pantami’s camp was aware of the omission of his name despite his emergence from the fresh PDP governorship primary conducted on September 29, following an order by the Federal High Court in Gombe.

It added that the camp’s legal and liaison teams were engaging relevant party organs and INEC to secure what it described as compliance and rectification within the period allowed by law.

The camp also alleged that some individuals were working behind the scenes to frustrate what it called responsible leadership in the state, but did not identify them or provide evidence to support the allegation.

It maintained that the PDP and Pantamiyya Movement remained united and urged supporters to continue their mobilisation.

Pantami won the PDP’s fresh governorship primary after the Federal High Court, in a judgment delivered on September 24, nullified his earlier emergence and ordered the party to conduct another primary within 30 days. The rerun followed a legal challenge by party aspirants over the process that produced him as the party’s candidate.

Meanwhile, Sani Ibrahim Shawai, spokesman for the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate, Dr Jamilu Isyaku Gwamna, did not respond to phone calls seeking his reaction as of press time. Mohammed, the Gombe State APC secretary, said he would get back to the reporter but had yet to provide a response as of press time.