APC Primary Legal Battle Continues After Court Ruling

The Federal High Court sitting in Minna has dismissed an application seeking the amendment of names in a suit filed over the All Progressives Congress (APC) primary election for the Magama/Rijau Federal Constituency.

The suit was instituted by APC aspirant, Alhaji Shehu Samaila Auna, through his attorney, Abubakar Sadeeq Danjuma, challenging the June 16, 2026, primary election that produced Professor Yakubu Mohammed Auna as the party’s candidate for the 2027 general elections. During the previous sitting, the plaintiff filed an application to amend the names of parties in the suit, but the request was opposed by the defence.
Defence counsel argued that the application failed to state the reasons for the proposed amendment and sought to overreach their preliminary objection. In his ruling, the presiding judge, Justice Abdullahi Aminu Dan-Ige, held that the plaintiff failed to justify the amendment and consequently dismissed the application for lacking merit and being incompetent. The case was adjourned to July 22, 2026, for hearing.
Speaking to journalists after the proceedings, the plaintiff’s counsel, Abubakar Sadeeq Danjuma, said the dismissal of the application did not affect the substantive suit challenging the APC primary election. He maintained that no valid primary election was conducted in the Magama/Rijau Federal Constituency and insisted that the case would proceed. On his part, defence counsel, Philip Ada, Esq., welcomed the ruling, describing it as a victory for the defence. He stated that the next step would be to adopt their submissions on the adjourned date and await the court’s judgment.