The prison combat over Professor Isa Ali Pantami’s bid to transform the following governor of Gombe State took some other activate October 29, 2026, when the Impartial Nationwide Electoral Fee (INEC) licensed his petition difficult his exclusion from the 2027 governorship race.
The verdict prepared the ground for the inclusion of Pantami’s title in INEC’s record of applicants, after the fee had first of all left him out, bringing up provisions of the Electoral Act 2026 on birthday celebration club registers.
On the other hand, his inclusion isn’t the tip of the talk. INEC showed the approval on October 30 however famous that pending court docket instances may nonetheless have an effect on the result.
The improvement is the newest bankruptcy in a political and prison combat that started with Pantami’s withdrawal from the APC governorship number one, endured via a disputed PDP number one and a court-ordered rerun, and culminated in his preliminary exclusion from INEC’s record.
Here’s how the occasions opened up.
Might 19, 2026: Pantami withdraws from APC number one
Pantami withdrew from the APC governorship number one after the birthday celebration followed Jamilu Gwamna as its consensus candidate forward of the Might 21 workout.
In a commentary issued via Ibrahim Attahir of the Pantamiyya Motion, Pantami accused the birthday celebration management of violating the Electoral Act 2026 and its tips.
He alleged that he used to be denied get right of entry to to knowledge regarding accreditation, vote casting procedures, brokers and collation preparations, describing the method as mistaken for a reputable contest.
Might 26, 2026: Emerges PDP governorship candidate
Seven days after chickening out from the APC number one, Pantami emerged because the PDP governorship candidate via voice confirmation at a number one organised via the birthday celebration faction sponsored via FCT Minister Nyesom Wike.
On the other hand, rival aspirants, specifically Usman Aliyu Garry and Khamisu Ahmed Mailantarki, challenged the method, wondering its compliance with the birthday celebration’s charter and electoral rules. Their objections therefore ended in court docket instances difficult the principle and Pantami’s eligibility.
July 11, 2026: Courtroom reserves judgment
The Federal Prime Courtroom in Gombe, presided over via Justice Amina-Aliyu Mohammed, heard arguments in a go well with filed via Mailantarki. He challenged Pantami’s eligibility, arguing that the previous minister used to be now not a registered PDP member when he participated within the Might 26 number one. His attorney, Mustapha Ibrahim, SAN, recommended the court docket to nullify the workout and order a contemporary number one. The court docket therefore reserved judgment.
September 24, 2026: Courtroom nullifies preliminary number one
The Federal Prime Courtroom in Gombe nullified the Might 26 number one and ordered the PDP to habits a contemporary governorship number one inside of 30 days. The judgment adopted demanding situations instituted via Garry and Mailantarki over the method that produced Pantami. On the other hand, the ruling didn’t quantity to a blanket declaration that Pantami used to be now not a PDP member. This difference later changed into necessary within the dispute over his eligibility and INEC’s resolution.
September 24, 2026: Ultimate Courtroom regulations on birthday celebration club registers
At the similar day, the Ultimate Courtroom delivered a separate judgment involving the Zenith Labour Birthday celebration (ZLP) and INEC over provisions of the Electoral Act 2026. The apex court docket restored Sections 77(5), 77(6), and 77(7), in conjunction with Phase 84(2), which govern political birthday celebration club registers and participation in birthday celebration primaries.
Beneath Phase 77(5), simplest participants whose names seem at the club check in submitted to INEC no less than 21 days earlier than a number one, congress, or conference can take part.
Phase 77(7) supplies {that a} birthday celebration that fails to conform to the membership-register submission requirement can not sponsor a candidate.
Even supposing the case used to be indirectly about Pantami, INEC later relied at the judgment in explaining his exclusion.
September 29, 2026: Pantami wins PDP number one rerun
Following the court docket judgment, the PDP carried out a contemporary governorship number one throughout Gombe State’s 11 native executive spaces. Pantami received with 2,054 votes, defeating Mailantarki, who scored 389 votes, and Garry, who secured 112 votes. The consequences had been introduced via Johnbull Shekarau, chairman of the PDP Governorship Number one Rerun Committee.
In spite of his victory, questions surrounding Pantami’s club registration and the birthday celebration’s club check in endured to generate controversy.
October 6, 2026: INEC receives Ultimate Courtroom judgment
INEC Chairman, Joash Amupitan, disclosed that the fee had gained the Qualified True Replica of the Ultimate Courtroom judgment at the Electoral Act provisions.
He stated INEC used to be reviewing the judgment and its implications for the 2027 elections, specifically the necessities governing political birthday celebration club registers.
October 10, 2026: INEC excludes Pantami from applicants’ record
INEC revealed its ultimate record of applicants for the 2027 governorship elections with out Pantami’s title and that of his working mate.
The omission got here lower than two weeks after he received the court-ordered PDP number one rerun.
The improvement renewed questions on his club standing and whether or not the PDP complied with the Electoral Act’s membership-register necessities.
October 12–14, 2026: Pantami’s legal professionals problem exclusion
Pantami’s prison workforce, led via Senior Recommend of Nigeria Ahmed Raji, wrote to INEC on October 12, giving the fee 72 hours to incorporate his title at the applicants’ record. The legal professionals argued that Pantami had received a contemporary number one held in compliance with the September 24 judgment and that INEC may now not disqualify him independently with no court docket order.
Additionally they maintained that Pantami used to be a duly registered PDP member whose title gave the impression in an up to date club check in submitted via the birthday celebration. On the other hand, INEC maintained that his exclusion, along that of PDP’s Ogun governorship candidate, Ladi Adebutu, resulted from non-compliance with Sections 77(5)–(7) of the Electoral Act 2026.
The fee relied at the Ultimate Courtroom judgment and its timetable, which required events to post their club registers between April 21 and Might 10, 2026.
October 28, 2026: Courtroom hears software to sign up for Garry
The prison dispute moved to the Federal Prime Courtroom in Abuja, the place Pantami and the PDP challenged INEC’s resolution to exclude his title.
On October 28, the court docket heard an software in the hunt for to sign up for Usman Aliyu Garry within the lawsuits.
Garry’s attorney, Eko Ejembe, SAN, raised issues about similar instances pending earlier than the Courtroom of Attraction in Gombe and the Federal Prime Courtroom in Gombe.
He additionally challenged the September 29 rerun, arguing that questions surrounding Pantami’s eligibility and the PDP’s authority to appoint him remained unresolved.
The court docket, presided over via Justice Peter Lifu, fastened November 2 to rule at the joinder software and believe pending briefs.
October 28, 2026: INEC clears Pantami
October 29, 2026: On Thursday, INEC cleared former Minister of Communications and Virtual Economic system, Isa Ali Pantami. On the other hand, the fee said that the clearance used to be topic to the results of pending court docket instances.
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