Former Minister and governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Gombe State, Professor Isa Ali Ibrahim (Pantami), has hired four senior advocates to challenge the non-inclusion of his name in the governorship list released by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
Pantami hired the services of Ahmed Raji, A.T. Kehinde, Abdul Mohammed and Wale Balogun, all Senior Advocates of Nigeria, as well as another lawyer, Chief Tunde Falola.
The lawyers, in a letter written to Chairman of INEC, Professor Joash Amupitan, through the chambers of Ahmed Raji and Co, gave the electoral body three-day ultimatum to publish his name as the governorship candidate of PDP in Gombe State.
The letter reads: “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 Professor 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. (See Annexure A hereto).
“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.
“At pages 57 of the judgment in Suit No. FHC/GM/CS/9/2026, the Court held, in terms thus:
“I therefore find that the plaintiff has not established that the 3rd defendant was legally incapable of being recognised by the 1st defendant as its member. Accordingly, question two is resolved against the plaintiff. Question four concerns whether the 3rd defendant validly emerged as the 1st defendant’s gubernatorial candidate having regard to Sections 177(c) and 228(b) of the constitution.
“Section 177(c) requires a person seeking election as governor to be a member of, and sponsored by, a political party. I have already resolved the issue of membership against the plaintiff. The remaining question is therefore whether the 3rd defendant derived valid sponsorship from the nomination process of the 1st defendant. That question has substantially been answered under questions one and three.”
“Equally in Suit No. FHC/GM/CS/10/2026 the court resolved questions 1, 2 and 3 in favour of the plaintiff, but resolved Question 4 – the membership and eligibility of Isa Ali Ibrahim against the plaintiff. At pages 65-66 of the judgment, the court held, in terms thus:
“As to PDP membership, even though the 2nd defendant’s name does not appear in Exhibit A, that fact alone is not conclusive of his non-membership. The Supreme Court has consistently held that membership of a political party is ordinarily a matter within the domestic affairs of the party and that it is primarily for the party to determine who its members are. See Enang v. Asuquo & Ors supra.
“In the present case, the 1st defendant recognises the 2nd defendant as its member and has produced both a membership card and a register containing his name………Accordingly, the plaintiff has not established the 2nd defendant’s ineligibility on the grounds advanced. Question four is resolved against the plaintiff.”
“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.” (Judgments annexed as Annexures B and C, respectively).
“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.
“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.
