WorldStage– The Federal High Court in Abuja has reserved judgment in a legal challenge seeking to nullify the emergence of former Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, as the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate for the Yobe North Senatorial District ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Presiding judge, Justice Salim Ibrahim, announced that a final verdict date will be communicated to all legal parties at least 24 hours prior to its delivery.
The decision follows the adoption of final written addresses and oral arguments presented by the respective legal counsels representing the plaintiff and the defendants.
The suit was instituted by Hassan Kafayos, an aggrieved APC senatorial aspirant who participated in the political process.
Kafayos is asking the court to set aside the party’s Yobe North primary election conducted on May 18, 2026, which named Lawan as the winner.
The plaintiff alleges that he was unlawfully excluded from participating in the primary voting process despite successfully undergoing screening and being cleared by the party’s establishment.
During the court session, counsel to the plaintiff, Francis Mgboh, urged the court to grant all requested reliefs.
Invoking prior Supreme Court precedents, Mgboh argued that the apex court has firmly established that candidate nomination must strictly comply with constitutional provisions and internal guidelines.
However, Senator Lawan and the APC have filed preliminary objections challenging the lawsuit.
Lawan’s legal team, led by Shaibu Aruwa, SAN, argued that the Federal High Court lacks the necessary jurisdiction to hear or determine the matter.
The APC leadership also contended that Kafayos lacks the legal standing (locus standi) to challenge the primary outcome, asserting that he was disqualified prior to the election.
With all final written processes adopted, the political future of the former Senate President hangs in the balance as both sides await the court’s definitive ruling.
