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A Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court has been asked to determine the fate of a disputed Bauchi State House of Assembly ticket after a member of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Basiru Maigari, sued his party, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), and his rival over the substitution of his name as the winner of their primary election.
Maigari, who contested for the Madara/Chinade constituency seat, is challenging the ADC’s decision to replace him with Mohammed Abubakar, whom he defeated at the primary election.
According to the suit, Maigari polled 1,419 votes at the primary held on May 23, 2026, against 261 votes scored by Abubakar — a margin he says makes his substitution indefensible.
He noted that the declaration-of-result form sent to INEC, signed by the Chairman and Secretary of the State House of Assembly Primary Election Committee, Nuhu M. Kore and Usman Abubakar respectively, certified him as the winner.
The form stated that Maigari, “having satisfied the requirements of the ADC Constitution and Guidelines and scored the highest number of votes, is hereby declared the winner of the primary election and is returned elected/nominated as the party’s candidate for the State House of Assembly, Madara/Chinade District.”
Maigari said he was taken aback to discover that his name had not been forwarded to INEC as the party’s candidate, despite the fact that he never withdrew from the race and is, in his words, “not dead”.
He argued that the substitution defies assurances given by ADC leadership — including presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar at the outset of the primaries — that there would be fair competition for all positions, with no candidate withdrawing or being pressured to step down for another.
Through his lawyers, M.M. Mshelia and M. Jibril, Maigari, a resident of Kofar Fada, Bulkachuwa, Bauchi State, wants the court to determine whether, under Section 84 of the Electoral Act 2026, his name as the rightful primary winner can lawfully be replaced with another and forwarded to INEC by the party.
He contends that the ADC’s substitution of his name with that of Abubakar is unlawful, unconstitutional, null and void.
The claimant is asking the court for:
A declaration that he was the validly elected candidate of the ADC for the Madara/Chinade constituency, having scored the highest number of valid votes at the primary election.
An order of perpetual injunction restraining INEC from recognising or publishing Abubakar’s name as the ADC’s candidate for the 2027 general election.
