Politics
Court Gives Verdict on APC Senatorial Primary Election Crisis
The Federal High Court in Abuja on Monday struck out a suit filed by Senator Ned Nwoko, seeking to void the emergence of former governor Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta as the candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC, for the Delta North Senatorial District.
Justice Mohammed Umar, in a ruling, upheld the arguments by lawyers to the defendants, including Kehinde Ogunwumiju, SAN, that the suit was fundamentally defective and incompetent from its inception.
Justice Umar agreed with the defence argument that the originating summons could not be amended as sought by Nwoko.
Nwoko had commenced the suit, marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/1062/2026 in his name, but through a person described in the originating processes as his attorney, Dr Mike Nwoko.
At a point, Nwoko applied to amend the originating processes to reflect the pre-election suit as being personally commenced by himself rather than through his purported attorney.
But the defendants objected to the application.
Listed as defendants in the suit are the APC, Okowa and the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC.
Delivering the ruling, Justice after examining the originating summons, found that the suit was, indeed, commenced by Nwoko through his attorney, Nwoko.
The judge held that the form and content of the originating process showed that the suit was instituted in a representative capacity.
Relying on provision of Section 285 (14) of the 1999 Constitution and Section 88 (2) of the Electoral Act, 2026, which prescribe the category of persons entitled to commence a pre-election suit, Justice Umar held that “the provisions were clear, explicit and unambiguous in vesting the right to institute a pre-election action in an aspirant, who participated in the relevant party primary.”
The judge further held that the right created by the constitution and the Electoral Act is a personal statutory right, which belongs exclusively to the affected aspirant and not an ordinary civil right that may be freely assigned, transferred or exercised through an agent or attorney.
Justice Umar further agreed with the defendants that the right to challenge the outcome, conduct or validity of a political party’s primary election is personal to the aspirant who participated in that primary and claims to have been aggrieved by the process.
He held that such an aspirant must personally invoke the jurisdiction of the court in the manner prescribed by law and cannot transfer the right of action to another person through a power of attorney.
Justice Umar also held that if the constitution or the Electoral Act had intended to permit an aspirant to institute a pre-election action through an attorney or in a representative capacity, the relevant legislation would have expressly said so.
The judge noted that neither Section 285 (14) of the Constitution nor Section 88(2) of the Electoral Act contained any provision extending the right to commence a pre-election suit to an attorney, agent or representative of an aspirant.
He, therefore, rejected Nwoko’s application for amendment and held that an amendment could not be used to revive a suit which was incurably defective from the moment it was filed.
He stressed that in substance, no amendment could breathe life into an originating process that was already a nullity.
The judge was of the view that there must first be a competent and subsisting proceeding before the court could exercise its discretionary power to permit an amendment.
He added that the originating process itself was void and incapable of conferring jurisdiction, and an amendment cannot operate retrospectively to create a valid suit.
Justice Umar consequently dismissed Nwoko’s application for leave to amend the originating summons and proceeded to strike out the substantive suit for want of jurisdiction
The Peoples Democratic Party and the ruling All Progressives Congress have commenced the upload of names of their governorship and state Houses of Assembly candidates for the 2027 general elections.
Speaking exclusively with The PUNCH, the PDP National Organising Secretary, Umar Bature, disclosed that the party commenced the upload process on Saturday.
Also, a senior APC official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to comment publicly, told our correspondent that the party would upload only the governorship and state Houses of Assembly candidates whose nominations had been cleared by the primary election appeal panel and the National Working Committee.
Earlier, in line with the Independent National Electoral Commission’s timetable, political parties submitted the nomination lists of their presidential and National Assembly candidates between June 27 and July 11, 2026.
The process also included the submission of Forms EC9 and EC9A to EC9E, as required under Section 29(1) of the Electoral Act, 2026.
INEC also fixed the submission of nomination forms for governorship and state Houses of Assembly candidates to run from 9:00 a.m. on July 18 to 6:00 p.m. on August 8, 2026.
The timetable further indicates that the personal particulars of presidential and National Assembly candidates will be published on August 8, while those of governorship and State House of Assembly candidates will be displayed on August 29.
It also sets August 22 as the deadline for the withdrawal or substitution of presidential and National Assembly candidates, while governorship and state House of Assembly candidates have until September 19 to withdraw or be substituted.
When contacted, Bature disclosed that the PDP began uploading its candidates’ details on Saturday, adding that the exercise is ongoing and will be concluded before August 8.
He stated, “The Peoples Democratic Party commenced the upload of its governorship and state Houses of Assembly candidates’ details to INEC’s nomination portal on Saturday.
“The exercise has been progressing smoothly without any technical issues, and we are confident that the upload process will be completed well ahead of the deadline.”
Also, the APC source said the party has commenced the upload of its candidates on the INEC portal, with priority given to the 16 incumbent governors seeking re-election.
He stated, “I can confirm that the party commenced the upload process yesterday (Saturday), with priority given to the 16 governors seeking re-election.
“The party has also established a committee headed by Jibrin Bancir, the Principal Private Secretary to the APC National Chairman, to coordinate the smooth transmission of documents and materials required for upload to the INEC portal.
“The committee is responsible for receiving documents from state chairmen, verifying the details, ensuring all requirements are met, and forwarding them to the ICT department for upload.
“The arrangement is aimed at making the process seamless, efficient and timely.
“There could be slight changes to the initial list of candidates, as the primary election appeal committee had reviewed some petitions and submitted its recommendations to the National Working Committee.
“So, only candidates who passed the appeal committee’s review and received the approval of the NWC were uploaded to the INEC portal.
“We are confident that the exercise will be completed before the deadline.”
The PDP, APC and other political parties are expected to upload a total of 28 governorship candidates and 993 state Houses of Assembly candidates nationwide.
Governorship elections will not take place in the eight states of Anambra, Bayelsa, Edo, Ekiti, Imo, Kogi, Ondo and Osun due to off-cycle election schedules.
Earlier, political parties participating in the presidential and National Assembly elections had submitted and uploaded their candidates’ lists on the INEC portal.
Source: Punch
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) will not conduct governorship elections in eight states during the forthcoming general elections due to their off-cycle election calendar.
The affected APC states are Bayelsa, Edo, Ekiti, Imo, Kogi and Ondo where governorship elections are held outside the regular election timetable following various court rulings and electoral adjustments over the years.
Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara is the only APC governor who will not be seeking a return ticket after withdrawing from the governorship race in May. Announcing his decision at the time, Fubara said he stepped aside in the interest of the state.
He said, “Rivers State is bigger than any individual, and at this critical moment, the peace, stability, and unity of our dear state must take precedence over every personal interest.”
As a result, governorship contests will only be conducted in the remaining states of the federation where the tenure of incumbent governors aligns with the national election cycle.
Meanwhile, the All Progressives Congress (APC) has begun uploading the names of its governorship and State Houses of Assembly candidates to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Candidate Nomination Portal (ICNP) ahead of the 2027 general elections, as the party moves to beat the August 8 submission deadline.
Findings at the APC National Headquarters in Abuja showed that the party’s Information and Communications Technology (ICT) department started processing the nomination documents on Saturday.
The exercise covers 28 governorship candidates and 993 State Houses of Assembly candidates across the country.
The party is expected to give priority to 16 serving governors seeking second-term re-election. They include Governors Umo Eno of Akwa Ibom, Hyacinth Alia of Benue, Uba Sani of Kaduna, Abba Yusuf of Kano, Dikko Radda of Katsina, Nasir Idris of Kebbi, Umaru Bago of Niger, Caleb Mutfwang of Plateau, Ahmad Aliyu of Sokoto, Agbu Kefas of Taraba and Dauda Lawal of Zamfara, among others.
APC is also expected to upload the names of 12 first-time governorship candidates, including Obafemi Hamzat in Lagos, Solomon Adeola in Ogun, Ogundu Kingsley Chinda in Rivers, Eric Opah in Abia, Mohammed Abubakar in Bauchi, Mustapha Gubio in Borno, Jamilu Gwamna in Gombe, Ahmed Aliyu Wadada in Nasarawa and Baba Malam Wali in Yobe.
Wolimoh Olajide Epe, the National Vice Chairman (South West) of the Peoples Redemption Party (PRP), has resigned from the party ahead of the 2027 general elections, citing concerns over what he described as the party’s lack of national relevance and limited political direction.
In a resignation letter addressed to the National Chairman of the party, Dr. Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, Wolimoh announced that his decision takes immediate effect.
He said the move followed wide consultations with political associates, supporters and other stakeholders who had closely followed his activities within the party.
The former party chieftain said his decision was not made in haste. According to him, several discussions and engagements over the future of the party convinced him that remaining in the PRP would no longer align with his political goals and those of his supporters.
Wolimoh expressed appreciation to the party for the opportunities he received during his years of service.
He noted that he had served the PRP in different capacities, including as a committee member, National Youth Leader and later as the National Vice Chairman representing the South West zone.
Despite acknowledging the roles he occupied within the party, he maintained that the PRP had failed to evolve into a strong national political force capable of competing effectively for power at the federal level.
He stated that many of his supporters had become increasingly concerned about what they viewed as the party’s inability to build momentum across the country.
According to him, there was a growing belief among party members and supporters that the PRP lacked the seriousness and ambition required to emerge as a major political platform. Wolimoh further argued that the party had gradually shifted away from active political engagement, claiming that it now functions more as a forum for political discussions than a vehicle for contesting and influencing governance.
The former vice chairman also raised concerns about the party’s national outlook. He alleged that the PRP is widely perceived as a northern-based political organisation, a perception he said has affected its ability to attract wider support from other regions of the country.
According to him, many members from outside the northern region often feel sidelined in key decision-making processes. He claimed that such members are frequently viewed as participants without significant influence over the direction of the party.
He also alleged that leadership opportunities within the party are not evenly distributed. Specifically, he argued that the position of national chairman appears to be largely associated with the northern region, making it difficult for members from other geopolitical zones to aspire to the office.
Wolimoh said this situation has weakened the party’s image as a truly national platform and limited its appeal among voters seeking inclusive representation.
He further maintained that the party had missed several opportunities to expand its presence across the country and attract a broader support base.
According to him, stronger efforts should have been made to build structures and strengthen the party’s identity beyond its traditional areas of influence. Announcing his next political step, Wolimoh disclosed that he intends to continue pursuing his political ambition on another platform.
However, he did not reveal the political party he plans to join, stating that the decision would be made public at the appropriate time.
Despite the criticisms contained in his resignation letter, he wished the party success in its future activities and urged its leadership to reflect on the issues he raised.
“I sincerely hope the leadership of the PRP will reflect on these observations and take the necessary steps to reposition the party for greater national relevance and inclusiveness,” he stated.
As of the time of filing this report, the National Chairman of the PRP, Dr. Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, had not publicly responded to the resignation or the allegations made by the former vice chairman. There was also no official reaction from other senior figures within the party.
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