Solicitors acting for Professor Isa Ali Ibrahim and the Peoples Democratic Party have written to the Independent National Electoral Commission demanding the immediate publication of his name on the final list of candidates for the office of Governor of Gombe State ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The letter, dated 12th October 2026 and issued by Ahmed Raji & Co., states that the name of Professor Isa Ali Ibrahim, the duly nominated candidate of the PDP, was omitted from the list published by the Commission on 10th October 2026 without any reason being given. The solicitors call for his name to be published within three days.
Professor Isa Ali Ibrahim is a registered member of the PDP at Pantami Ward, Gombe State. The updated PDP membership register containing his name was submitted to the Commission. He purchased the Expression of Interest and Nomination Forms for the gubernatorial primary. After screening and clearance, he participated in the governorship primary election of the PDP in Gombe State and emerged as the winner on 26th May 2026. The PDP subsequently submitted his personal particulars (Form EC9) to the Commission on 8th August 2026 pursuant to Section 29(1) of the Electoral Act 2026. The Commission published his name on 29th August 2026 pursuant to Section 29(3) of the Act. Up to that point, the Commission had taken no step to question any aspect of his emergence.
The primary of 26th May 2026 was later challenged in two suits before the Federal High Court in Gombe. These are Suit No. FHC/GM/CS/9/2026 between Usman Aliyu (Garry) v. PDP & 2 Ors and Suit No. FHC/GM/CS/10/2026 between Khamisu Ahmed & Anor v. PDP & 2 Ors. The second and fourth questions submitted for determination in the Originating Summons squarely challenged the membership of Isa Ali Ibrahim. The plaintiffs contended that his name did not appear in the PDP register submitted to the Commission and that he was therefore ineligible to contest the primary. Those issues were fully litigated on affidavit evidence and determined by the court.
At page 57 of the judgment in Suit No. FHC/GM/CS/9/2026, the court held that the plaintiff had not established that the third defendant was legally incapable of being recognised by the first defendant as its member. Question two was resolved against the plaintiff. On the issue of valid emergence as the gubernatorial candidate under Sections 177(c) and 228(b) of the Constitution, the court noted that Section 177(c) requires a person seeking election as Governor to be a member of, and sponsored by, a political party. Having already resolved the issue of membership against the plaintiff, the court stated that the remaining question of valid sponsorship from the nomination process had substantially been answered under questions one and three.
In Suit No. FHC/GM/CS/10/2026, the court resolved Questions 1, 2 and 3 in favour of the plaintiff but resolved Question 4, concerning the membership and eligibility of Isa Ali Ibrahim, against the plaintiff. At pages 65 to 66 of the judgment, the court held that the absence of the second defendant’s name from Exhibit A was not conclusive of non-membership. The court recalled that the Supreme Court has consistently held that membership of a political party is ordinarily a matter within the domestic affairs of the party and that it is primarily for the party to determine who its members are. The first defendant recognised the second defendant as its member.
The solicitors maintain that the omission of Professor Isa Ali Ibrahim’s name from the final list is unlawful and unexplained. They have demanded that the Commission publish the name within three days.
A.Ikechukwu
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