Pantami traced his omission to people working “behind the scenes to frustrate good and responsible leadership in Gombe.”
By Kehinde Okeowo
Former Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Professor Isa Ali Pantami, has urged his supporters to remain calm, hopeful, and steadfast despite the omission of his name from the list of candidates released by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for the 2027 governorship election in Gombe State.
He appealed to them on Saturday in a statement issued on his behalf by Professor Suleiman Mohammed Gombe.
Earlier, INEC published its final list of candidates for the February 6, 2027 governorship elections, with the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) missing from the lists for Gombe and Ogun states.
The lists, signed by INEC Secretary Rose Oriaran-Anthony and published on the electoral umpire’s website on Saturday, show 16 candidates in Gombe and 13 in Ogun, none of them from the PDP. They leave out Pantami in Gombe and Ladi Adebutu in Ogun.
Following the development, Prof. Gombe clarified that Pantami emerged as the candidate after a fresh primary election conducted on 29 September 2026, in compliance with an order of the Federal High Court.
He noted that the omission is a temporary challenge, adding that it is a “normal part of the electoral process” and “not a final determination.”
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Pantami traced his being left out to people working “behind the scenes to frustrate good and responsible leadership in Gombe State.”
The statement reads: “Our attention has been drawn to the non-publication of the name of our candidate from the fresh primary election of September 29, 2026, as ordered by the Federal High Court, Professor Isa Ali Ibrahim (Pantami), CON, PhD, FCIIS, FBCS, FNCS, in the list released by INEC, and we understand the concerns this has raised among our teeming supporters in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the Pantamiyya Movement across Gombe State and beyond.
”We wish to assure all our supporters to remain calm, steadfast and hopeful. This is a temporary challenge and a normal part of the electoral process, not a final determination, in sha Allah.
”We are aware of the people working behind the scenes to frustrate good and responsible leadership in Gombe State, but our legal and liaison teams are already engaging with the relevant organs of the party and INEC to ensure full compliance and rectification within the window provided by law. By the grace of Allah, this matter will be resolved.
”We urge our supporters to continue their mobilisation and remain focused on our collective ideology of service to humanity. The PDP and Pantamiyya Movement remain strong, united and committed to the rescue and emancipation of our people. No distraction will derail our course, in sha Allah.
”May Allah bless Gombe State and may Allah bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”
