By Rauf Oyewole
The Allied Peoples Movement (APM) has filed a suit at the Federal High Court in Bauchi challenging the eligibility of Senator Shehu Buba Umar, the Peoples Redemption Party (PRP) governorship candidate, to contest the 2027 Bauchi State governorship election.
The suit, numbered FHC/BAU/CS/68/2026, seeks to determine whether Buba’s participation in the PRP governorship primary held on May 25, 2026, complied with Sections 77(4), (5) and (6) of the Electoral Act 2026.
APM’s legal adviser, Barrister Jidauna Tula, said the party approached the court to ensure the proper interpretation and enforcement of the electoral law in the interest of justice and fairness.
The suit lists the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the PRP and Buba as defendants. APM alleged that Buba’s name was absent from the PRP membership register submitted to INEC within the statutory period before the party’s governorship primary.
The party further claimed that Buba was still a member of the All Progressives Congress (APC) when the PRP submitted its membership register, raising questions about his eligibility to participate in the party’s primary.
Counsel to the APM, Barrister Benjamin Sati, said the suit asked the court to determine whether Buba’s nomination was lawful, given the provisions of the Electoral Act governing party membership registers and eligibility to participate in primaries.
According to the party, Section 77(4) requires political parties to submit their membership registers to INEC at least 21 days before their primaries, while Sections 77(5) and (6), as cited in the suit, govern eligibility to participate in primaries and the use of the applicable membership register.
APM argued that the PRP was required to submit its membership register on or before May 10, 2026, ahead of its governorship primary held on May 25, and alleged that Buba’s name was not on the register submitted within the statutory period.
The party also questioned whether INEC could retain Buba’s name on the final list of candidates published on October 10, 2026, if the court finds that his participation in the primary and subsequent nomination violated the law.
APM is asking the court to declare the publication of Buba as the PRP governorship candidate unlawful, null and void.
It also wants the court to order INEC to remove his name from the final list of candidates for the 2027 Bauchi State governorship election. The suit places Buba’s eligibility and the circumstances surrounding his emergence as the PRP candidate before the court for determination.
