The Allied Peoples Movement (APM) has approached the Federal High Court in Bauchi, seeking to nullify Senator Shehu Buba Umar’s nomination as the Peoples Redemption Party (PRP) candidate for the 2027 Bauchi State governorship election over alleged violations of the Electoral Act 2026.
The suit, which names the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the PRP and Buba as defendants, challenges the legality of his participation in the party’s governorship primary and INEC’s subsequent recognition of him as its candidate.
The APM’s legal adviser, Barrister Jidauna Tula, disclosed this while briefing journalists in Bauchi, saying the case seeks a judicial interpretation of the provisions governing party membership registers and eligibility for primary elections.
The suit, marked FHC/BAU/CS/68/2026, seeks the enforcement of Sections 77(4), 77(5) and 77(6) of the Electoral Act 2026.
According to Tula, Buba participated in the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship primary before subsequently emerging as the PRP candidate for the 2027 election.
The APM alleges that Buba’s name was missing from the PRP membership register submitted to INEC within the period prescribed by law, raising questions about his eligibility to participate in the party’s governorship primary held on May 25, 2026.
The party is asking the court to determine whether Buba’s participation in the primary and his emergence as the PRP candidate were lawful, given the alleged omission of his name from the register.
It is also seeking a determination on whether his alleged continued membership of the APC at the time the PRP submitted its register affected his eligibility to contest the party’s primary.
The APM further wants the court to establish whether the PRP complied with Section 77(4) of the Electoral Act, which requires political parties to submit their membership registers to INEC at least 21 days before holding primaries, congresses or conventions.
Tula said the PRP was required to submit its membership register by May 10, 2026, ahead of the May 25 governorship primary. He alleged that Buba’s name was absent from the submitted register and claimed that the senator remained an APC member as of May 19, 2026.
The party is also asking the court to determine whether the PRP can rely on any membership register other than the one submitted to INEC within the statutory period to establish Buba’s eligibility.
The suit additionally challenges INEC’s publication of Buba’s name as the PRP governorship candidate on October 10, 2026.
Consequently, the APM is seeking a declaration that the publication is unlawful, null and void, as well as an order directing INEC to remove Buba’s name from the final list of candidates for the 2027 Bauchi governorship election.
The party maintains that INEC’s recognition of Buba was based on a nomination it considers inconsistent with the Electoral Act, leaving the court to determine the legality of his candidacy.
