The Federal High Court in Abuja has fixed November 19, 2026, for judgment in a pre-election suit challenging former Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello’s emergence as the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate for Kogi Central Senatorial District.
Justice Inyang Edem Ekwo fixed the date on Monday, September 28, after lawyers representing the parties adopted their final written addresses in the case.
The suit was filed by APC senatorial aspirant Momoh Yusuf Obaro, who is challenging the outcome of the party’s May 18, 2026, primary and asking the court to recognise him as the lawful winner.
Obaro Wants Court to Recognise Him as APC Candidate
Obaro joined the APC, Bello and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as defendants in the suit, which is marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1085/2026.
In his originating summons, Obaro asked the court to declare that he secured the highest number of lawful votes in the May 18 primary and should therefore be recognised as the APC’s candidate for the 2027 Kogi Central senatorial election.
He also sought orders directing the APC to forward his name to INEC and compelling the electoral commission to recognise and publish him as the party’s candidate.
Obaro has also alleged that Bello was not properly screened and cleared to participate in the primary. Those claims remain disputed by Bello and the APC.
Bello Maintains He Won the Primary
Bello, through his counsel, Paul Daudu, SAN, has urged the court to dismiss Obaro’s case.
The former governor maintains that he won the APC primary with 72,399 votes, while Ibrahim Yakubu Adoke scored 319 votes and Obaro polled 188 votes.
The figures correspond with the result announced by the APC returning officer after the May 18 primary, when Bello was declared the winner of the contest.
Bello has described the claims challenging his emergence as lacking merit and has raised objections to the competence of the suit.
Bello Challenges Court’s Jurisdiction
Daudu told journalists after Monday’s proceedings that the defence had challenged the competence of the case, including whether the court had jurisdiction to entertain the dispute.
According to the lawyer, the defence’s position is that aspects of the dispute concern the internal affairs of a political party.
He also said the defence had raised several procedural objections, including issues concerning the documents filed alongside the originating summons and the length of Obaro’s written address.
Daudu further said Obaro had filed an affidavit outside the prescribed period and subsequently sought an extension of time to regularise it.
The defence opposed that application, arguing that the case was election-related and therefore subject to strict timelines. The court elected to consider the application alongside the other processes rather than determine it separately.
Mandamus Prayer Also Challenged
Another issue raised by Bello’s legal team concerns Obaro’s request for an order of mandamus compelling the APC to recognise him and forward his name to INEC.
Daudu said such a request required leave of court and argued that Obaro had not obtained the necessary leave. According to the lawyer, Obaro subsequently withdrew that particular prayer.
The defence also raised what it described as technical defects in the plaintiff’s case, while maintaining that the fundamental dispute remained Obaro’s challenge to Bello’s emergence from the APC primary.
What Is at Stake in the November Judgment?
The court’s judgment will determine whether Obaro’s challenge can displace the APC’s nomination of Bello for Kogi Central or whether Bello’s emergence from the May primary will remain intact.
The case adds another legal dimension to the 2027 political contest in Kogi Central, where Bello is seeking to return to elective office after serving as governor of Kogi State from 2016 to 2024.
The Bureau Journal previously reported on the APC’s Kogi East senatorial primary and the emergence of Joseph Erico, as well as wider developments surrounding the party’s 2027 senatorial nominations.
The dispute also follows earlier legal and political controversies surrounding APC nominations in Kogi. The Bureau Journal’s 2027 elections guide provides broader context on the electoral process and reforms ahead of the general elections.
APC and INEC Also Oppose Obaro’s Case
Bello is not alone in seeking dismissal of the suit. The APC and INEC have also asked the court to reject Obaro’s claims.
The defendants’ positions mean the court is being asked to determine both the substance of Obaro’s challenge to the primary and the legal objections raised against the manner in which the case was brought.
Premium Times reported that the defendants filed separate processes opposing Obaro’s suit and seeking its dismissal.
Judgment Set for November 19
With the parties having adopted their final written addresses, Justice Inyang Edem Ekwo has reserved the matter for judgment on November 19, 2026.
Until the court delivers its decision, Bello remains the APC’s nominee for Kogi Central based on the party’s primary and subsequent nomination process.
The November judgment will determine whether Obaro’s challenge changes that position or whether Bello’s APC senatorial bid proceeds under the party’s existing nomination.
The case will therefore be closely watched in Kogi Central as preparations for the 2027 National Assembly elections continue.
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