A presidential aspirant and chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Alhaji Bayero Lawal, has slammed a suit against the party for allegedly denying him expression of interest and nomination forms during the recently concluded presidential primaries.
Alhaji Lawal, a founding member of the party, also joined the Presidential Screening Committee of the APC and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in the suit before a Federal High Court Abuja and marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/1020/2026.
Daily Trust reports that the ruling APC had in May waived the screening requirement for the President, Bola Tinubu ahead of its 2027 primaries, declaring him duly cleared in line with the party’s constitution and internal procedures. The decision, according to the spokesman of the party, Felix Morka, was taken by the National Working Committee at its 188th meeting held on Wednesday, May 6, 2026, at the party’s National Secretariat in Abuja.
But on May 21, Lawal through his lawyer, Basil Kpenkpen, approached the Federal High Court, arguing that the party refused to allow him to obtain both the expression of interest and nomination forms to contest the primaries against the incumbent president in line with the democratic tenets.
In an originating summons, obtained by our correspondent, the plaintiff sought seven reliefs, among which is payment of N100m for both forms be declared illegal, arguing that such mandatory payment was not captured in the party’s constitution.
He maintained that the constitution of APC guarantees him, as a fully registered and financially up-to-date member of the 1st Defendant (party), has rights to contest for and be voted for in any elective position, including the office of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.