Court Sets Date To Deliver Judgement On Suit Seeking To Disqualify Yahaya Bello As APC Senatorial Candidate

The Federal High Court in Abuja has fixed November 19, 2026, to rule on a suit challenging the emergence of former Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello as the All Progressives Congress (APC) senatorial candidate for Kogi Central.

Naija News reports that Justice Inyang Ekwo set the date on Monday after hearing arguments from the parties involved in the case.

The suit was filed by Momoh Obaro, who is asking the court to cancel Bello’s emergence as the APC candidate for the 2027 Kogi Central Senatorial election.

Obaro had commenced the case against the APC, Bello and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), arguing that he was the rightful winner of the party’s senatorial primary.

In the suit, marked FHC/ABK/CS/1085/2026, Obaro claimed that he secured the highest number of lawful votes during the primary conducted on May 18.

He is asking the court to stop the APC from submitting Bello’s name to INEC and to order the party to recognize him as its duly nominated candidate for the election.

Obaro also claimed that Bello was not properly screened and cleared to participate in the primary.

According to him, he was surprised when Bello was announced as the winner and his name subsequently submitted to INEC.

The plaintiff further alleged that although Bello initially obtained and submitted the necessary Expression of Interest and Nomination Forms, he voluntarily withdrew from the contest before the primary election.

Obaro claimed that Bello’s alleged withdrawal letter was submitted to the appropriate APC authorities and was not withdrawn before the primary was held.

Bello, however, rejected the claims and asked the court to dismiss the case.

Through his lawyer, Joseph Daudu, SAN, the former governor filed a preliminary objection challenging the competence of the suit and the jurisdiction of the court to entertain it.

Bello also disputed Obaro’s account of the primary election, maintaining that he was screened, cleared and certified to contest the election.

In his counter affidavit, Bello stated that he obtained 72,999 votes in the primary, while Obaro received 188 votes.

He also questioned the evidence presented by Obaro, particularly the absence of what he described as the authentic official result sheet from the properly constituted primary election committee.

Bello further denied withdrawing from the race and maintained that his victory was followed by the submission of his name to INEC as the APC candidate.

The APC and INEC also asked the court to dismiss the case.

INEC, in its court filing, said it monitored the primary election in accordance with the relevant laws and procedures.

The electoral commission stated that three aspirants participated in the primary and that Bello emerged as the winner after securing the highest number of valid votes.

INEC also maintained that reports from its officials who monitored the exercise across the wards in the five local government areas making up Kogi Central showed that the primary was substantially conducted in line with the Electoral Act 2026.

At Monday’s proceedings, Obaro’s lawyer, A. T. Hassan, SAN, adopted the processes filed by his client and asked the court to grant the reliefs sought in the suit. He also urged the court to allow an application seeking to amend the case.

Counsel representing the APC, Ibrahim Mohammed, SAN, Bello’s lawyer, Paul Daudu, SAN, and INEC’s lawyer, S.A. Omole, all urged the court to dismiss the case.

After hearing the arguments, Justice Ekwo adjourned the matter until November 19 for a decision on the application to amend the suit or judgment in the main case.