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Nigerian court rulings on political primary elections

Updated 8 times since CLSTR started tracking revisions of this situation.

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2026-10-10 20:22 UTC → 2026-10-13 00:00 UTC · added removed

Federal High Courts in Nigeria have issued rulings nullifying political party primary elections in different states due to procedural irregularities. In Zamfara, the court nullified the All Progressives Congress (APC) senatorial primary for the Zamfara North district, ruling that the party failed to follow its own constitution and Independent National Electoral Commission guidelines. The court ordered a fresh primary to be conducted within 14 days. In Gombe, Justice Amina Aliyu Mohammed of the Federal High Court nullified the emergence of Professor Isa Ali Pantami as the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate for the 2027 election. The ruling followed a lawsuit by PDP aspirants Usman Aliyu Garry and Khamisu Mailantarki, who argued the party failed to conduct a valid primary in accordance with its constitution and the Electoral Act. The court found that Pantami emerged through a ‘voice affirmation process’ in May 2026 that did not satisfy legal requirements. primary. Following the court's order, the PDP conducted a rerun primary on September 29, 2026, across 11 local government areas. Professor Isa Ali which Pantami won the rerun, securing 2,054 votes, while Khamisu Ahmed Mailantarki and Usman Aliyu Garry received 389 and 112 votes, respectively. Election committee chairman Johnbull Tiemlong Shekarau reported that 2,555 accredited party members participated in the exercise. won. The rerun has intensified internal party friction. The friction, leading the PDP suspended to suspend Mailantarki and Garry for one month following allegations of misconduct and alleged ‘anti-party activities,’ specifically citing Mailantarki’s claims that he had won activities.’ Following the primary. Mailantarki continues to reject rerun, lawyers representing the results, alleging PDP and Pantami was ineligible due issued a three-day ultimatum to his previous membership in the APC. Meanwhile, Sadiq Abubakar, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). Led by Senior Advocate of Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) Ahmed Raji, the legal team demanded that INEC publish Pantami’s name on the final list of candidates for the 2027 governorship candidate, has challenged election, characterizing his omission from the October 10, 2026, list as ‘unlawful and unexplained.’ The lawyers asserted that Pantami to is a public debate regarding policy duly registered member who successfully completed the nomination process and governance for Gombe State. that his particulars were submitted to INEC on August 8, 2026, in accordance with the Electoral Act 2026.

Versions

  1. 2026-10-13 00:00 UTC Nigerian court rulings on political primary elections
  2. 2026-10-10 20:22 UTC Nigerian court rulings on political primary elections
  3. 2026-10-02 02:17 UTC Nigerian court rulings on political primary elections
  4. 2026-09-30 23:48 UTC Nigerian court rulings on political primary elections
  5. 2026-09-30 07:11 UTC Nigerian court rulings on political primary elections
  6. 2026-09-29 19:55 UTC Nigerian court rulings on political primary elections
  7. 2026-09-28 02:45 UTC Nigerian court rulings on political primary elections
  8. 2026-09-25 19:03 UTC Nigerian court rulings on political primary elections
  9. 2026-09-24 17:15 UTC Nigerian court rulings on political primary elections

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