The Federal High Court in Abuja has fixed 16 November 2026, to deliver judgement in a suit challenging the emergence of former Kogi State Governor, Alhaji Yahaya Bello as the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate for the Kogi Central Senatorial District.
Justice Inyang Ekwo reserved the matter for judgement on Monday after counsel representing the parties adopted their final written addresses.
The suit, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1085/2026, was filed by an APC senatorial aspirant, Momoh Yusuf Obaro, who is challenging the outcome of the party’s 18 May 2026, primary election.
Obaro told the court that he was the lawful winner of the primary, alleging that he secured the majority of valid votes cast but was sidelined by the party in favour of Bello.
He is asking the court to declare him the APC’s lawful candidate for the Kogi Central senatorial election and order the party to forward his name to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
The plaintiff is also seeking an order compelling INEC to recognise and publish his name as the APC candidate.
The defendants in the case are the APC, Bello and INEC.
Bello, however, urged the court to dismiss the suit, arguing that the claims were without merit. The former governor said he won the primary with 72,399 votes, while Ibrahim Yakubu Adoke came second with 319 votes and Obaro polled 188 votes.
Bello described Obaro’s claims as contrived and misleading and argued that the suit was incompetent because it was not supported by an affidavit as required by law.
The APC also urged the court to dismiss the case.
Bello had emerged as the APC’s candidate after winning the primary across the five Local Government Areas that make up Kogi Central.
With final arguments adopted by all parties, Justice Ekwo fixed 19 November for judgement, when the court is expected to determine the challenge to Bello’s emergence as the APC’s Kogi Central senatorial candidate.
