Court fixes date for judgement in suit against Yahaya Bello’s APC Senate ticket

The Federal High Court in Abuja has fixed November 19, 2026, for judgement in a suit challenging the emergence of former Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello as the All Progressives Congress (APC) senatorial candidate for Kogi Central in the 2027 general election.

Justice Inyang Ekwo set the date on Monday, September 28, after lawyers to Bello, the APC, and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) urged the court to dismiss the suit filed by APC aspirant Momoh Obaro.

Obaro, in the suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1085/2026, is asking the court to declare him the lawful winner of the APC primary election, claiming he scored the highest number of valid votes and should have been submitted to INEC as the party’s candidate.

He also alleged that Bello was neither screened nor cleared to contest the primary and later claimed the former governor had voluntarily withdrawn from the race before the election.

Obaro is seeking an order restraining the APC from recognising Bello’s candidacy and compelling the party to forward his own name to INEC.

Bello, however, denied the allegations, insisting he neither withdrew from the contest nor breached the party’s nomination process.

In his defence, the former governor said he was duly screened, cleared and declared winner of the primary after polling 72,999 votes, while Obaro scored 188 votes.

He argued that the plaintiff failed to produce the authentic result sheet of the primary election.

INEC confirms Yahaya Bello as APC Kogi Central candidate

APC and INEC also asked the court to dismiss the suit. INEC maintained that it monitored the primary election and that the exercise substantially complied with the Electoral Act 2026.

At Monday’s proceedings, counsel to Obaro adopted their processes and urged the court to grant the reliefs sought, including an application to amend the suit.

Lawyers representing Bello, the APC, and INEC opposed the application and prayed the court to dismiss the case.

After hearing all parties, Justice Ekwo adjourned the matter until November 19, 2026, for ruling on the application to amend the suit or judgement on the substantive case.