PDP Lawyers Demand INEC Publish Isa Ali Ibrahim’s Name as Gombe Governorship Candidate

Legal Team Gives Electoral Commission Three-Day Deadline, Cites Court Judgments and Fresh Primary Election

A team of Senior Advocates of Nigeria (SANs) representing Professor Isa Ali Ibrahim and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has demanded that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) immediately publish Professor Ibrahim’s name as the party’s candidate for the 2027 Gombe State governorship election.

The demand was contained in a formal letter dated October 12, 2026, addressed to the Chairman of INEC by the law firm of Ahmed Raji & Co., which accused the Commission of unlawfully and without explanation omitting Professor Ibrahim’s name from the final list of candidates for the 2027 general elections published on October 10.

The legal team gave INEC until Wednesday, October 14, 2026, to publish the professor’s name alongside those of other governorship candidates in the state.

In the letter signed by Ahmed Raji, SAN; A.T. Kehinde, SAN; Abdul Mohammed, SAN; Wale Balogun, SAN; and Chief Tunde Falola, Esq., the lawyers stated that Professor Ibrahim was duly nominated by the PDP following a fresh governorship primary election conducted on September 29, 2026.

According to the solicitors, their client participated in the party’s nomination process and emerged victorious at the initial primary held on May 26, 2026. His particulars were subsequently submitted to INEC on August 8, 2026, and his name was published by the Commission on August 29, 2026.

However, the initial primary was later challenged in two separate suits before the Federal High Court in Gombe: Suit No. FHC/GM/CS/9/2026, involving Usman Aliyu (Garry) v. PDP & 2 Others, and Suit No. FHC/GM/CS/10/2026, involving Khamisu Ahmed & Anor. v. PDP & 2 Others.

The lawyers explained that the court delivered judgments in both cases on September 24, 2026, nullifying the May 26 primary over issues concerning the conduct of the exercise and directing the PDP to conduct a fresh governorship primary within 30 days.

They stressed that the court’s consequential orders restricted recognition of nominations arising from the May 26 exercise, rather than automatically disqualifying Professor Ibrahim from participating in a fresh primary.

The solicitors further argued that the Federal High Court addressed questions relating to Professor Ibrahim’s membership of the PDP and his eligibility to contest the governorship primary.

According to the letter, the court in Suit No. FHC/GM/CS/9/2026 held that the plaintiff had not established that Professor Ibrahim was legally incapable of being recognised as a member of the PDP.

Similarly, in Suit No. FHC/GM/CS/10/2026, the court reportedly held that the absence of Professor Ibrahim’s name from a particular membership register was not, by itself, conclusive proof that he was not a party member.

The judgment, as quoted in the solicitors’ letter, noted that the PDP recognised Professor Ibrahim as its member and had produced a membership card and a register containing his name.

The legal team maintained that these findings were relevant to the question of his membership and eligibility, while distinguishing those issues from the court’s decision to nullify the earlier primary election.

The lawyers stated that the PDP complied with the court’s directive by notifying INEC and conducting a fresh governorship primary on Tuesday, September 29, 2026.

They claimed that the exercise was conducted in accordance with the Electoral Act, 2026, the PDP Constitution and the party’s Electoral Guidelines.

The solicitors also stated that INEC officials attended, observed and monitored the exercise, adding that the Commission had custody of the monitoring report.

At the conclusion of the fresh primary, Professor Ibrahim reportedly emerged as the winner, after which the party resubmitted his name to INEC as its nominated candidate for the 2027 Gombe State governorship election.

The legal team argued that the fresh primary was a separate exercise from the one nullified by the court and should therefore be considered on its own merits.

The solicitors argued that the removal or omission of a duly nominated candidate’s name from an electoral list must be grounded in the law and, where required, a competent judicial decision.

They cited previous judicial authorities, including Dingyadi & Anor. v. INEC & Ors. (2011), Raymond v. INEC & Ors. (2023), and AC & Anor. v. INEC (2007), in support of their position.

According to the lawyers, INEC’s role in political party primaries includes attending, observing, monitoring and reporting on the exercises, rather than independently disqualifying candidates outside the powers conferred on it by law.

They consequently demanded that the Commission correct the omission and publish Professor Ibrahim’s name with the same prominence as those of other candidates already included in the October 10 final list.

The solicitors urged INEC to demonstrate its commitment to impartiality, the rule of law and compliance with judicial orders by taking immediate corrective action.

They also requested written confirmation of the steps taken to address the complaint before the October 14 deadline.

The letter, however, represents the position and demands of Professor Ibrahim and the PDP through their legal representatives. INEC’s response to the demand was not included in the correspondence made available for this report.

The development adds another significant legal dimension to the preparations for the 2027 Gombe State governorship election, particularly regarding the PDP’s nomination process and the publication of its candidate by the electoral commission.