Court orders INEC to recognise ADC rep candidate in Adamawa

The Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission to recognise Abubakar Bashir as the African Democratic Congress candidate for the Yola North/Yola South/Girei Federal Constituency of Adamawa State in the 2027 elections.

Justice Chigozie Onah gave the order in a judgment delivered on September 17, 2026.

The ruling followed a suit filed by Bashir after he challenged the substitution of his name with that of another aspirant following the ADC primary.

The ADC had conducted its direct primary for the constituency on May 21, 2026.

Bashir emerged victorious after polling 33,931 votes to defeat six other aspirants, according to the results cited in the court proceedings.

Zayyad Tumbar came second with 16,266 votes, while Yusuf Garba scored 14,611 votes.

Bashir later alleged that his name was replaced with that of Abubakar Babazango, who did not win the primary.

He subsequently approached the court, asking it to declare the substitution illegal and restore his candidacy.

In his judgment, Justice Onah held that the publication of Babazango’s name as the winner could not stand because it was inconsistent with the party’s guidelines.

The judge held that after the declaration of a primary election result, the winner could only be substituted if he died or withdrew from the race.

He noted that neither condition applied to Bashir.

“The declaration and publication of the 3rd Defendant as are accordingly set aside,” the judge ruled.

The court consequently restrained Babazango from parading himself as the ADC candidate for the constituency in the 2027 general elections.

It also directed INEC to recognise Bashir as the winner of the primary and the party’s candidate for the House of Representatives seat.

The court further awarded N1m to Bashir as legal costs incurred in prosecuting the case.

The judgment comes amid a series of legal disputes involving the ADC and its candidates ahead of the 2027 general elections.