Court upholds Malami’s ADC gov’ship candidacy

…throws out primary election challenge

By Musa Baba Adamu

The Federal High Court in Abuja has affirmed the emergence of former Attorney General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami (SAN), as the African Democratic Congress (ADC) governorship candidate for the 2027 election in Kebbi State after dismissing a suit challenging his nomination.
Delivering judgment on Tuesday, Justice M. G. Umar ruled that the plaintiff, Abdulrazak Isa Iko, lacked the legal standing to institute the action because he failed to establish that he participated in the ADC governorship primary election.
The court held that without proof of participation in the primary, the plaintiff could not validly question the outcome of the party’s candidate selection process.
Having resolved the issue of locus standi against the plaintiff, Justice Umar found the suit to be without merit and dismissed it in its entirety.
The judgment leaves Malami’s candidacy unaffected and removes a significant legal obstacle ahead of the 2027 governorship election in Kebbi State.
The ruling also reaffirmed the established legal principle that only individuals with the requisite legal standing can challenge the conduct or outcome of a political party’s primary election before the courts.