By Ghazali Ibrahim
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has cleared former Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Professor Isa Ali Pantami, to contest the 2027 Gombe State governorship election, while the political future of some other candidate remains uncertain following the commission’s review of petitions.
INEC confirmed Pantami’s clearance on Friday, October 30, 2026, after reviewing complaints arising from the omission of his name from the initial list of governorship candidates published on October 10.
However, the commission rejected the petition filed by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate in Ogun State, Ladi Adebutu, who had challenged his exclusion from the list.
Speaking on the development, INEC’s National Commissioner and Chairman of its Information and Voter Education Committee, Mohammed Haruna, told TheCable that Pantami’s petition was successful but noted that his candidacy remained subject to the outcome of pending court proceedings.
Haruna also confirmed that Adebutu’s petition was unsuccessful, explaining that the commission had considered the complaints on their merits.
Meanwhile, the candidacy of Kano State Ex-Deputy Governor, Aminu Abdulsalam Gwarzo, had been affirmed despite a Federal High Court order restraining INEC from publishing his name.
INEC had earlier announced that it received 69 petitions from 12 political parties across 26 states concerning governorship candidates. Of the petitions, 41 were successful, while 28 were rejected.
For the State Houses of Assembly elections, the commission received 61 petitions from 11 political parties across 11 states. Twenty-five petitions were upheld, while 36 were rejected.
In total, INEC upheld 66 petitions and rejected 64 following its review of complaints bordering on omitted candidates, party membership registers and alleged multiple nominations.
The commission said candidates and political parties affected by the decisions would be reflected in an updated list to be published on its website.
What makes the development significant is that Pantami’s clearance reverses his earlier exclusion from the Gombe governorship candidates’ list, although the pending court proceedings mean his candidacy is not entirely free from legal uncertainty.
