2027 Gombe Guber: PDP Candidate Prof Isa Ali Ibrahim Drags INEC To Court, Demands Immediate Listing Within 3 Days
A legal battle is brewing ahead of the 2027 general elections as the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its governorship candidate in Gombe State, Professor Isa Ali Ibrahim, have petitioned the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) over the unlawful omission of his name from the final list of candidates.
In a strongly worded letter dated 12th October, 2026, addressed to the INEC Chairman and received by the Commission same day, solicitors to the candidate, Ahmed Raji & Co., accused INEC of omitting Prof. Ibrahim’s name from the final list published on 10th October, 2026, without any reason.
The legal team led by Ahmed Raji, SAN, alongside A.T. Kehinde, SAN, Abdul Mohammed, SAN, Wale Balogun, SAN and Chief Tunde Falola, said Prof. Ibrahim is a duly registered member of the PDP at Pantami Ward, Gombe State, whose name was contained in the updated membership register submitted to INEC. He purchased nomination forms, was screened, and won the gubernatorial primary held on 26th May, 2026.
According to the petition, the PDP subsequently submitted his Form EC9 to INEC on 8th August, 2026, and the Commission published his name on 29th August, 2026, in line with Section 29(3) of the Electoral Act, 2026, without questioning his emergence.
The letter explained that the 26th May primary was later challenged in two suits — FHC/GM/CS/9/2026 and FHC/GM/CS/10/2026 — where the challengers contested Prof. Ibrahim’s membership. However, the Federal High Court, Gombe, in judgments delivered on 24th September, 2026, resolved the membership question in his favour.
The Court held that the PDP recognises him as its member and that membership of a political party is an internal affair of the party. While the court nullified the 26th May primary on other grounds relating to conduct, it ordered the PDP to conduct a fresh primary within 30 days and restrained INEC only from giving effect to nomination “arising from the exercise of 26 May 2026.”
In compliance, the PDP gave INEC due notice and conducted a fresh primary on Tuesday, 29th September, 2026, which was observed and monitored by INEC officials. Prof. Ibrahim again emerged winner and his name was resubmitted to the Commission.
The solicitors argued that it is settled law that removal of a nominated candidate’s name is exclusively a judicial act, citing DINGYADI & ANOR v. INEC & ORS (2011), RAYMOND v. INEC & ORS (2023) and AC & ANOR v. INEC (2007), stressing that INEC’s role is to observe and report, not to disqualify.
Consequently, they demanded that INEC, on or before Wednesday 14th October, 2026, publish and circulate the name of Professor Isa Ali Ibrahim as the PDP governorship candidate for Gombe State in the same manner and prominence as other candidates published on 10th October, 2026.
