{
  "id": 14904097,
  "title": "PDP’s right to field Pantami challenged again",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/16/pdps-right-to-field-pantami-challenged-again",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-10-16T07:03:12.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Daily Trust",
    "slug": "daily-trust",
    "url": "https://dailytrust.com/pdps-right-to-field-pantami-challenged-again/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "The legal dispute surrounding the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)’s selection of Prof. Isa Ali Ibrahim Pantami as their governorship candidate for the 2027 elections has been reignited by a petition filed by one of the aspirants, Usman Aliyu Garry. Through his legal counsel, Garry has challenged the PDP's authority to nominate Pantami, citing alleged irregularities in the party's membership records and alleged non-compliance with the Electoral Act 2026.\n\nIn a seven-page letter addressed to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) chairman, Prof Joash Amupitan, Garry's lawyers argued that the party must first prove compliance with the legal requirements stipulated in Section 77 of the Electoral Act 2026. They specifically referred to the Supreme Court's judgment in the case of INEC v. Zenith Labour Party, delivered on September 24, 2026, to bolster their claim that the PDP must adhere to electoral laws and party membership record submission guidelines.\n\nA central point of contention raised by Garry's lawyers is Pantami's membership in the PDP, which they claim occurred after the deadline for submitting the party's membership register. This raises concerns about Pantami's eligibility to participate in the party's governorship primary election. The lawyers urged INEC to verify Pantami's inclusion in the party's relevant membership records before the deadline and to ensure the PDP adhered to the legal provisions when nominating him as their candidate. They also directed INEC’s attention to another ongoing case, FHC/GM/CS/09/2026, emphasizing the need for INEC to consider the legal issues involved in their decision-making process.\n\nThis petition injects a new dimension into the ongoing political and legal battle over the PDP’s governorship candidate in Gombe State. The outcome of INEC’s response to the petition, as well as any subsequent legal developments, could significantly influence the next phase of this contentious issue.",
  "summary": "The legal battle over the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)’s governorship candidate in Gombe State ahead of the 2027 general elections has taken a fresh turn, following a formal petition by one of the aspirants, Usman Aliyu Garry, challenging the party’s legal capacity to nominate Prof. Isa Ali Ibrahim Pantami as its candidate for the 2027 […]",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}