Pantami gives INEC 72 hours to publish his name on the Gombe governorship list as parties protest omissions
Isa Ali Pantami, a former communications minister, through his lawyers gave the Independent National Electoral Commission three days to publish his name on the final Gombe governorship list (Leadership, Daily Trust, Tribune). Punch reported a three-day ultimatum from lawyers for the Peoples Democratic Party. BusinessDay said parties and candidates left off the lists of governorship and state assembly contestants are protesting, and Leadership said the Muslim Rights Concern criticised the omission of opposition politicians. Premium Times quoted an INEC official on duplicated candidate names, saying the lists came from headquarters, which had been told. Tribune reported that INEC denied a fake notice about six states.
The final candidate lists decide who is on the ballot. Omissions lead to court cases, and court cases can delay or reshape the contest in a state.
Check your state's list on INEC's website and note any candidate you plan to vote for. Treat notices that circulate on social media with caution until INEC confirms them on its own channels.
Parties say the commission must explain every omission and correct errors before the deadline for challenges.
The commission's defenders say lists are drawn from party submissions and court orders, and that errors can be fixed through the legal process.
The test is INEC's written reply before Thursday. Watch whether it gives a reason, a correction or a court date, and whether other omitted candidates file suits.
DailyDrop Nigeria edition No. 9 · Morning · TUE., OCT. 13, 2026