Former Minister of Communications and Digital Economy and the Peoples Democratic Party’s nominated governorship candidate in Gombe State, Professor Isa Ali Ibrahim Pantami, has vowed to expose individuals he alleges are behind moves to frustrate his 2027 governorship ambition following his omission from the Independent National Electoral Commission’s final list of candidates.
![](https://thenigerialawyer.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/2026-IDRI-Masterclass.png")
Pantami said his camp had been investigating circumstances surrounding the controversy and would soon release what he described as sufficient details of the alleged conspiracy, including the identities of those he claims are responsible.
His comments came amid continuing uncertainty over the PDP’s participation in the February 6, 2027 Gombe State governorship election after neither Pantami nor the party appeared on INEC’s final list.
In a Hausa-language video shared online, Pantami thanked his supporters for remaining steadfast despite the controversy surrounding his political future.
He particularly expressed appreciation to supporters who had continued to pray for him in mosques and churches, saying their solidarity had strengthened him amid the challenges confronting his governorship ambition.
“I want to begin by expressing my gratitude to my supporters for the way you have continued to offer prayers for my well-being. You have been praying in mosques and churches, day and night, without ceasing,” Pantami said.
According to the former minister, supporters had also continued to mobilise and create awareness for his political movement despite criticism and uncertainty surrounding his candidacy.
He urged them not to be discouraged by those who mocked their decision to seek divine intervention, arguing that ridicule should not weaken their commitment.
Pantami said even prophets faced ridicule during their lifetimes and urged his supporters to remain patient, prayerful and steadfast.
Turning specifically to the controversy surrounding his omission from the INEC list, Pantami alleged that investigations conducted by his camp had reinforced their suspicion that certain individuals were working behind the scenes to frustrate his political ambition.
He claimed that substantial resources and time had been deployed in an attempt to undermine the movement.
Pantami, however, did not identify any of those he accused of being behind the alleged plot.
He said the identities of those involved and details of what he described as acts of hypocrisy and conspiracy would be made public in due course.
“Very soon, we will expose and provide sufficient details about all the acts of hypocrisy and the conspiracies that have been plotted, including those responsible for them,” he said.
He expressed confidence that whatever political efforts were being made against his ambition could not override what he believed had been destined by God.
The latest declaration comes against the backdrop of a complicated legal and electoral dispute surrounding Pantami’s emergence as the PDP’s governorship flag bearer.
Pantami had initially emerged from the PDP governorship nomination process, but the Federal High Court in Gombe subsequently nullified the exercise and ordered the party to conduct a fresh primary.
In compliance with the court order, the PDP conducted another direct primary on September 29, 2026, across the 11 local government areas of Gombe State.
Pantami again emerged victorious in the rerun.
However, when INEC released its final list of candidates for the Gombe governorship election on October 10, Pantami’s name was absent and no PDP candidate was listed for the governorship contest.
The development triggered protests from Pantami’s camp and legal representatives, who challenged the omission and insisted that he had been validly nominated by the PDP.
The dispute has increasingly focused on the membership-register provisions of the Electoral Act 2026 and whether Pantami’s name appeared in the relevant PDP register submitted to INEC within the period prescribed by law.
Pantami’s legal team has maintained that he was a duly registered member of the PDP and that his name was included in the Gombe State membership register submitted to the electoral commission.
His lawyers have also argued that INEC cannot independently remove a duly nominated candidate from an election list without a judicial order.
On the other side of the political dispute, Ibrahim Sani Shawai, spokesperson for the All Progressives Congress governorship candidate in Gombe State, Dr. Jamilu Isyaku Gwamna, has argued that the membership-register question could be decisive to Pantami’s political future.
Writing in an article titled “Farewell, Professor Isa Ali Pantami,” Shawai argued that Pantami’s victory in the September 29 rerun primary would not necessarily cure any defect if it were established that his name was absent from the PDP membership register submitted within the legally prescribed period.
“The same electoral legislation Pantami invoked when he believed the APC nomination process was working against him is now at the centre of the legal challenge to his PDP candidacy,” Shawai said.
The argument remains a political and legal position advanced by Pantami’s opponents and does not, by itself, constitute a judicial determination that Pantami was ineligible to participate in the PDP primary.
At the centre of the dispute are provisions of the Electoral Act 2026 governing the submission of political party membership registers and the eligibility of persons to participate in party primaries.
The legal controversy has therefore moved beyond the result of the rerun primary to the question of whether the statutory membership requirements were satisfied before Pantami participated in the nomination process.
Pantami’s camp insists that the requirements were met, while his opponents maintain that the membership-register issue could undermine his nomination.
With Pantami now promising to expose those he alleges are behind the attempts to frustrate his ambition, the controversy has taken on an additional political dimension as the PDP continues efforts to secure his inclusion on the final list.
For now, however, Pantami has not publicly identified the individuals he alleges are behind the conspiracy, and his claims against unnamed persons remain allegations.
The substantive question of whether he will ultimately appear on the ballot remains dependent on the resolution of the dispute surrounding his omission and the applicable provisions of the Electoral Act.
[A MUST HAVE] Evidence Act Demystified With Recent And Contemporary Cases And Materials
Available now for NGN 40,000 at ASC Publications, 10, Boyle Street, Onikan, Lagos. Beside High Court, TBS. Email publications@ayindesanni.com or WhatsApp +2347056667384. Purchase Link: https://paystack.com/buy/evidence-act-complete-annotation
______________________________________________________________________ “Enhance Legal Practice With Authoritative Reports” — Alexander Payne Offers Comprehensive Law Reports, Spanning Over A Century Of Nigerian Jurisprudence
Interested buyers are encouraged to place their orders and enquiries via:
0704 444 4777, 0704 444 4999, 0818 199 9888
Website: www.alexandernigeria.com
