The Federal High Courts in Gombe and Jos have ordered fresh primary elections for the African Democratic Congress and the All Progressives Congress in two federal constituencies following legal challenges to the parties’ nomination processes ahead of the 2027 general elections.
In Gombe, Justice Vera Ibrahim nullified the nomination of Bashir Gaddafi as the ADC candidate for the Akko Federal Constituency and ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission to conduct a fresh primary within 21 days.
The judge also directed that Gaddafi’s certificate of return be withdrawn immediately.
The judgment followed a suit filed by Adamu Kashere, who challenged the validity of the primary election that produced Gaddafi as the party’s candidate.
Kashere alleged that no valid primary election was conducted across the wards in the constituency, while also questioning Gaddafi’s eligibility on the grounds that he participated in the nomination process as a public officer without formally resigning.
However, the court held that the plaintiff failed to prove the allegation that Gaddafi remained on the public payroll while seeking political office.
The judge also affirmed that Gaddafi was a registered member of the ADC and was eligible to contest the party’s primary.
Counsel for the plaintiff, Ibrahim Nasarawa, and counsel for the defendants, Benjamin Sati, stated that they would consult their respective clients before deciding on further legal action.
In a separate judgment in Jos, Plateau State, Justice Dorcas Agishi ordered the APC to conduct fresh primaries in 10 wards of the Jos South/Jos East Federal Constituency over irregularities in the party’s nomination exercise.
The judge gave the party 30 days to conduct the fresh primaries and awarded a cost of N500,000 against each of the three defendants, bringing the total sum payable to the plaintiff to N1.5m.
The suit was filed by Esther Bitrus Danboyi against Dachung Musa Bagos, the APC, and INEC over the primary election that produced Bagos as the candidate for the constituency.
Counsel for the plaintiff, Ritji Timothy Yilwatda, told journalists after the judgment that his client challenged the exercise over non-compliance with the 1999 Constitution, the Electoral Act 2026, and the APC’s guidelines for party primaries.
He noted that the plaintiff also alleged a denial of fair hearing after submitting petitions to the party and its Primary Election Appeal Committee.
According to Yilwatda, the court found that valid primaries were not conducted in the 10 disputed wards and subsequently ordered fresh polls.
The affected wards are Du, Shen, Zawan ‘B’, Fobur ‘A’, Fobur ‘B’, Jarawan Kogi, Mai Juju/Doss, Federe, Shere East, and Shere West.
Yilwatda added that the court dismissed the defendants’ preliminary objections and counter-affidavits for lacking merit.
The suit was marked FHC/J/CS/42/2026.
Meanwhile, a supporter of the plaintiff in the Gombe case, Ibrahim Lawanti, commended the ruling, describing the nullification of Gaddafi’s nomination as a victory for due process.