Fresh legal trouble has hit the ruling APC in Niger State as the Federal High Court sitting in Minna has fixed July 9, 2026, to commence hearing in a suit challenging the nomination of Prof. Yakubu Mohammed Auna as the party’s candidate for the Magama/Rijau Federal Constituency ahead of the 2027 general election.
The suit, marked FHC/MN/CS/54/2026, was instituted by Alhaji Shehu Samaila Auna, who is asking the court to nullify the outcome of the APC primary on the grounds that no valid primary election was conducted in the constituency as required by law.
Named as defendants in the suit are Prof. Yakubu Mohammed Auna, the APC, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Shehu Saleh Slow, Safiyanu Yahaya, Emma Alamu and Sani Doma.
The plaintiff is asking the court to determine whether the APC complied with the provisions of Sections 84, 86 and 87 of the Electoral Act 2026 in nominating Prof. Auna as its candidate, despite his claim that no primary election was held in Magama/Rijau Federal Constituency.
He further wants the court to declare the nomination invalid, contending that the party acted in “flagrant disregard” of the Electoral Act by allegedly producing a candidate without conducting a lawful primary election.
The plaintiff also seeks an order restraining INEC from accepting or recognising Prof. Auna’s nomination for the 2027 House of Representatives election if the court finds that the APC failed to comply with the law governing party primaries.
When the matter came up before Justice Mohammed Aminu Dan Ige, proceedings could not commence after the plaintiff’s counsel, Mohammed Abdullahi, informed the court that some of the defendants had yet to be served with hearing notices.
According to the plaintiff’s lawyer, efforts to effect service had been unsuccessful, prompting him to seek an adjournment to enable all parties to be properly served.
Justice Dan Ige granted the request, adjourned the matter to July 9, 2026, for hearing and directed that all outstanding defendants be served before the next sitting.
The suit adds to a growing wave of post-primary litigation across the country, as aggrieved aspirants increasingly turn to the courts to challenge the conduct and outcomes of party primaries ahead of the 2027 general elections.
If successful, the action could have significant implications for the APC’s House of Representatives ticket for the Magama/Rijau Federal Constituency. The allegations in the suit, however, remain claims by the plaintiff and have yet to be determined by the court.
