Former Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello’s bid to represent Kogi Central in the Senate in 2027 is facing a fresh legal challenge after fellow All Progressives Congress (APC) aspirant Momoh Yusuf Obaro challenged his emergence as the party’s candidate.
Obaro, who contested the APC senatorial primary against Bello, is disputing the conduct and outcome of the May 18, 2026 primary, alleging procedural irregularities and questioning Bello’s eligibility to participate in the exercise.
The latest challenge comes after the APC declared Bello winner of the primary and subsequently retained him as its candidate for the Kogi Central senatorial district.
How Bello Won the APC Primary
The APC held its Kogi Central senatorial primary across the five local government areas that make up the district.
The returning officer, Sadiq Mohammed, announced Bello as the winner after he secured 72,399 votes. Ibrahim Yakubu Adoke polled 319 votes, while Obaro was credited with 188 votes. The figures were reported by multiple news organisations following the May 18 exercise.
Bello won in all five local government areas, recording 18,341 votes in Adavi, 10,298 in Ajaokuta, 5,146 in Ogori, 8,943 in Okehi and 29,621 in Okene.
However, Obaro rejected the declared outcome and subsequently petitioned the APC leadership.
Obaro Alleges Irregularities, Violence
In his earlier petition to the APC National Working Committee and the party’s primary appeal structure, Obaro alleged that the exercise was affected by procedural breaches, inadequate stakeholder engagement, violence against his agents and irregularities in the collation of results.
He also disputed the official figures, claiming that results recorded by his agents showed a different outcome and asking the party either to recognise what he described as the authentic results or order a fresh primary.
Obaro further challenged Bello’s participation, alleging that the former governor had not been cleared by the APC screening committee for the primary.
Those claims were part of Obaro’s formal petition to the party after the primary. The APC, however, had separately confirmed Bello’s clearance before the election.
Why Bello’s Clearance Became a Major Issue
Bello’s eligibility became a subject of uncertainty shortly before the primary after a screening document circulating within the APC appeared to list him as “not cleared”. The development generated questions over whether he would be allowed to participate in the contest.
The APC subsequently clarified the situation by clearing Bello alongside other aspirants for the senatorial primaries. His name appeared on the list of approved candidates released by the party’s National Assembly screening committee.
Bello then participated in the primary and was declared the winner.
INEC Lists Bello as APC Candidate
Despite the dispute over the primary, Bello’s candidacy has progressed through the subsequent nomination process.
INEC’s final list of candidates for the 2027 National Assembly elections, released in September, lists Bello as the APC candidate for Kogi Central. He is among the candidates cleared to contest the senatorial seat in the January 2027 election.
The Bureau Journal had also reported earlier on the APC’s list of senatorial candidates, which included Bello for Kogi Central, Joseph Erico for Kogi East and Sunday Karimi for Kogi West.
The APC senatorial candidates list provides the wider picture of the party’s nominations ahead of the 2027 elections.
Bello’s Legal Battles Add to Political Attention
The senatorial nomination dispute comes as Bello continues to face criminal proceedings brought by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
In June, the Federal Capital Territory High Court dismissed an application by the former governor seeking to stop an alleged N110.4 billion fraud case, allowing the proceedings to continue. Bello has denied wrongdoing in the cases and pleaded not guilty.
The criminal proceedings are separate from Obaro’s challenge to the APC primary and do not by themselves determine the validity of Bello’s party nomination.
The Bureau Journal has continued to follow developments surrounding the former governor and Kogi politics, including the latest development in the N10.27 billion trial involving Ali Bello.
A Fresh Test for the APC’s Kogi Central Ticket
Obaro’s latest legal action, as supplied to The Bureau Journal, now places the APC’s Kogi Central nomination under renewed scrutiny.
The central questions will include whether the May 18 primary complied with the applicable party rules, whether the alleged irregularities affected the validity of the result and whether Bello’s participation satisfied the party’s nomination requirements.
The dispute is not entirely unusual within Kogi’s APC structure. The party’s other senatorial primaries have also generated challenges, including a controversy over the Kogi West result involving Senator Sunday Karimi. The Bureau Journal previously reported the Kogi West primary dispute.
In Kogi East, Senator Isah Jibrin Echocho also challenged his defeat in the APC primary before Joseph Erico emerged as the party’s candidate. The Bureau Journal reported on Echocho’s failed return bid and Erico’s emergence.
Another recent report examined the wider legal questions surrounding 2027 nominations and party membership requirements following a Supreme Court decision. That development has added to the growing legal scrutiny around 2027 nominations.
What Happens Next
The outcome of Obaro’s challenge will depend on the court’s determination of the issues raised against the APC primary and Bello’s nomination.
For now, INEC’s published candidate list continues to identify Bello as the APC candidate for Kogi Central, meaning any change to that position would have to follow the applicable legal and electoral processes.
The dispute therefore leaves two separate questions in focus: whether Obaro can successfully overturn the APC’s primary outcome through litigation, and whether Bello’s candidacy will remain on the ballot as the 2027 election approaches.
As political activity intensifies in Kogi, the case could become another significant test of how disputes arising from party primaries are resolved before the final election.
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