Court Halts ADC Move To Replace Kebbi Candidate

The Federal High Court in Abuja has stopped the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and other parties in a suit from taking further steps to alter the party’s candidate for the Zuru/Fakai/Danko Wasagu/Sakaba Federal Constituency in Kebbi State.

Naija News understands that the order followed a suit instituted by Abubakar Sadiq Sa’adu Fakai, who is challenging the decision to conduct another primary election in an attempt to replace him with Bashar Sulaiman Bajida.

Fakai is insisting that he emerged as the ADC candidate in an earlier primary and that his name was subsequently submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

He is challenging the move to replace his name, arguing that he never formally withdrew from the race.

The matter, which was filed on August 14, 2026, came up for mention before the Federal High Court in Abuja on Thursday.

Fakai’s lawyer, Ezra Enwere of Savannah Law LP, told the court that his client had filed both interim and interlocutory applications seeking to stop the ADC and INEC from replacing his name with that of Bajida.

The court, however, declined to go into the applications at that stage and opted to fix the substantive case for hearing.

September 8, 2026, was subsequently fixed for the hearing of the suit.

The court also directed that all parties must be properly served with the relevant court processes.

As part of the order, the court directed the parties to maintain the status quo pending the determination of the case.

The order effectively means that the parties are to remain in the position they occupied before the disputed August 18 primary election.

For now, Fakai’s name is expected to remain on the INEC portal as the ADC candidate for the federal constituency pending the outcome of the legal battle.

Fakai had told the court that after winning the earlier ADC primary, the party submitted his name to INEC as its candidate.

He alleged that the party later organized another primary election with the intention of replacing him with Bajida, despite the fact that he had not withdrawn his candidacy.

The court case comes at a time when the ADC is intensifying its preparations for the 2027 general elections in Kebbi State.

The party recently inaugurated a 600-member campaign council in the state, led by former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami.

Following the court’s decision, Fakai appealed to his supporters to remain calm and avoid any action capable of disrupting peace.

He expressed confidence that the court would resolve the dispute based on the law.