By Abubakar Rabilu Gombe
The legal battle over the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)’s governorship ticket in Gombe State has taken a fresh turn, as lawyers representing governorship aspirant, Hon. Usman Aliyu Garry, have petitioned the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), challenging the party’s capacity to nominate Prof. Isa Ali Ibrahim Pantami for the 2027 election.
In a formal letter addressed to the INEC chairman, Garry’s legal team raised questions over the PDP’s compliance with statutory requirements governing party membership registers and the nomination of candidates for elections.
The seven-page petition, dated October 12, 2026, and received by the commission on October 13, urged INEC to scrutinise the PDP’s membership records to determine whether the party complied with the relevant provisions of the Electoral Act 2026.
The lawyers anchored their arguments on Section 77 of the Act, which provides for the submission of political parties’ membership registers to INEC within the period prescribed by law.
They also cited the Supreme Court judgment in INEC v. Zenith Labour Party, suit number SC/CV/495/2026, delivered on September 24, 2026, arguing that the legal requirements governing party membership records must be strictly observed.
According to the petition, questions surrounding the timing of Pantami’s alleged membership of the PDP could affect his eligibility to participate in the party’s governorship primary.
The lawyers urged INEC to establish whether Pantami’s name was included in the party’s membership register before the statutory deadline and whether the PDP fulfilled the relevant legal requirements before presenting him as its candidate.
They also drew the commission’s attention to proceedings relating to suit number FHC/GM/CS/09/2026, asking it to consider the relevant legal issues while discharging its statutory responsibilities.
As part of their demands, the legal team called on INEC to examine the PDP’s digital membership register for Gombe State and verify the relevant entries before taking any position on the party’s governorship candidacy.
The petition represents another development in the protracted dispute over who is legally entitled to fly the PDP’s flag in the 2027 Gombe governorship election.
The party’s nomination process has been clouded by legal challenges and disagreements among aspirants, placing the question of compliance with electoral laws at the centre of the contest.
However, the petition itself does not amount to a judicial determination of Pantami’s eligibility. Any final resolution will depend on the applicable law, the evidence presented and decisions by the relevant authorities or courts.
INEC’s response to the petition, alongside any further court proceedings, could therefore shape the next phase of the dispute over the PDP’s governorship ticket in Gombe State.
