An ex-governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello of Kogi, the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) have prayed a Federal High Court in Abuja to dismiss a suit challenging Bello’s emergence as the candidate of the APC for the Kogi Central Senatorial District in the 2027 National Assembly election.
Bello, APC, and INEC made their positions known in the separate responses they filed against the suit marked FHC/ABK/CS/1085/2026, filed by Chief Momoh Obaro.
Obaro is, among others, praying the court to declare that, having scored the highest number of lawful votes cast at the May 18 primary poll of the APC, he was the lawful winner whose name should be submitted to INEC as the party’s candidate.
He, therefore, prayed the court to restrain APC from forwarding Bello’s name as party’s candidate to INEC for the 2027 senatorial poll.
Obaro also sought an order of mandamus compelling the APC to forthwith recognize and forward his name to INEC as the duly and validly nominated candidate for the senatorial seat, among others.
In a supporting affidavit, Obaro alleged that Bello was not screened and cleared as an aspirant in the poll.
Bello, in his counter affidavit, denied withdrawing from the contest and urged the court to dismiss the suit.
In a preliminary objection filed by his lawyer, Joseph Daudu (SAN), Bello wants the court to dismiss the suit as fundamentally defective and incompetent, and for vesting no jurisdiction in the court to adjudicate thereon.
He argued that the plaintiff’s written address failed to comply with the mandatory provision of Paragraph (7) of the Federal High Court (Pre-Election) Practice Directions, 2026 (as amended), among other reliefs.
In a counter affidavit, Bello stated that, contrary to Obaro’s claim, he scored the highest number of lawful votes, while the plaintiff polled a distant third.
He said that while the plaintiff polled 188 votes, he scored 72,999 votes.
Bello argued that Obaro had failed to produce before the court the authentic and official result sheet by the duly constituted primary election committee.
He said he was screened, cleared, and certified and found qualified to contest in the poll, contrary to the plaintiff’s claim.
He said that after his declaration as the winner of the poll monitored by INEC, the party submitted his name as a valid candidate.
The ex-governor denied withdrawing from the election in his further counter affidavit.
The APC and INEC, in their responses, also urged the court to dismiss the suit.
On Monday, Obaro’s lawyer, A. T. Hassan (SAN), made his final submissions and urged the court to grant the reliefs sought by his client.
APC’s lawyer, Ibrahim Mohammed (SAN); Bello’s lawyer, Joseph Daudu (SAN); and INEC’s lawyer, S.A. Omole, urged the judge to dismiss the suit.
Justice Inyang Ekwo has adjourned till November 19 for ruling on Obaro’s motion for amendment and judgment on the substantive suit.