By Musa Baba Adamu with agency report
The Federal High Court sitting in Minna, Niger State, has fixed July 9, 2026, for the commencement of hearing in a suit challenging the emergence of Prof. Yakubu Mohammed Auna as the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate for the Magama/Rijau Federal Constituency.
The suit was instituted by an APC aspirant, Alhaji Shehu Samaila Auna, who is asking the court to nullify the party’s nomination process, alleging that no valid primary election was conducted to produce the candidate.
Named as defendants in the suit are the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the APC, Prof. Yakubu Mohammed Auna, and other party officials involved in the conduct of the primary.
The plaintiff is seeking declarations that the APC failed to comply with the relevant provisions of the Electoral Act 2026 governing the conduct of party primaries and the nomination of candidates. He argues that the alleged failure to conduct a primary election renders Prof. Auna’s nomination invalid and of no legal effect.
He also wants the court to determine whether INEC can lawfully accept the nomination of a candidate allegedly produced without compliance with the Electoral Act.
At the proceedings, the case could not go ahead because hearing notices had not been served on two of the defendants.
Counsel to the plaintiff, Mohammed Abdullahi, urged the court to grant an adjournment to enable proper service of the court processes.
Justice Mohammed Aminu Dan Ige subsequently adjourned the matter to July 9, 2026, and directed that all outstanding hearing notices be served on the affected defendants before the next sitting.
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