Nigeria courts hear challenges to party primary elections in Kano and Gombe

Federal High Courts in Nigeria have begun hearing two separate lawsuits that contest the legitimacy of internal party primaries. In Kano State, five aspirants—including Labour Party candidate Huaibu Abubakar—filed a suit to nullify the New Democratic Congress (NDC) primary held on 28 May, alleging violations of the Electoral Act, improper control of nomination forms, lack of accredited delegates, and illegal ballot counting. They seek to overturn the candidate list and prevent the Independent National Electoral Commission from recognizing the disputed nominees.

In Gombe State, two People’s Democratic Party (PDP) governorship hopefuls, Khamis Mailantarki and Alhaji Hamma‑Sale Abdulkadir, have challenged the emergence of Prof Isa Pantami as the party’s 2027 candidate, claiming he secured the ticket without a valid primary or proper party membership. The court adjourned the hearing to 9 July to allow respondents time to file counter‑affidavits. Both cases aim to nullify the contested nominations and could reshape candidate line‑ups ahead of future elections.