Pantami’s Camp Reacts As Group Accuses INEC Of Contradiction Over Candidates’ Exclusion

A authorized consultant of Professor Isa Ali Ibrahim Pantami’s camp, Barrister Attahir Ibrahim, has accused the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) of contradicting itself over the exclusion of the previous minister from the checklist of candidates for the 2027 Gombe State governorship election.

Ibrahim was reacting to issues raised by the National Association of Achievers Movement (NAAM), which known as on INEC to clarify the exclusion of Pantami and different candidates alongside the inclusion of aspirants whose nomination circumstances have additionally attracted questions.

LEADERSHIP experiences that Pantami emerged because the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate in a recent main carried out after earlier litigation over the social gathering’s nomination course of. However, his identify was omitted from INEC’s closing checklist of candidates for the 2027 election.

In his response, Ibrahim argued that INEC’s rationalization for the omission of Pantami raised additional questions, notably relating to the timeline of the fee’s candidate checklist and the Supreme Court judgment on social gathering membership registers and nomination procedures.

“My simple opinion is that the position of INEC is self-contradictory,” he advised LEADERSHIP.

The lawyer argued that the fee had printed the names of candidates whose circumstances had been just like Pantami’s, in addition to that of a candidate he stated had been disqualified by a courtroom of competent jurisdiction.

According to Ibrahim, INEC, in responding to the controversy, maintained that the checklist had been compiled on September 12, 2026, earlier than the Supreme Court delivered its judgment on September 24.

He questioned how an inventory ready earlier than the judgment could possibly be thought-about compliant with the courtroom’s ruling.

“Then how can a list compiled on 12/09/2026 be said to be in compliance with the judgment of the Supreme Court delivered on 24/09/2026?” he requested.

“I NEC simply ran away from one contradiction and fell into another. It is sad! But they can do damage control,” Ibrahim added.

The controversy follows a press Conference by NAAM on October 21 in Gombe, wherein the group urged INEC to offer clear authorized and factual explanations for the exclusion of Pantami in Gombe, Ladi Adebutu in Ogun State and Aminu Abdussalam Gwarzo in Kano State.

The group additionally sought clarification on the inclusion of Senator Shehu Buba Umar of the Peoples Redemption Party in Bauchi State, former Inspector-General of Police Mohammed Adamu of the Social Democratic Party in Nasarawa State and Kingsley Chinda of the All Progressives Congress in Rivers State.

NAAM stated it was not calling for the automated reinstatement of excluded candidates or the disqualification of these whose names appeared on the checklist, however for transparency, due course of and constant utility of the Electoral Act 2026.

The group urged INEC to clarify any variations within the authorized circumstances of the candidates and to take corrective motion the place an administrative error or illegal determination is established.