The Federal High Court in Abuja has fixed November 19, 2026, for judgment in a suit challenging the emergence of former Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello, as the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate for the Kogi Central Senatorial District.
Justice Inyang Ekwo reserved the judgment date on Monday after lawyers representing the parties adopted their final written submissions in the case.
The suit, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1085/2026, was instituted by an APC senatorial aspirant, Momoh Yusuf Obaro, who is challenging the outcome of the party’s May 18 primary election.
Obaro claimed that he secured the majority of valid votes cast during the primary and accused the APC of unlawfully replacing him with Bello as its candidate.
He is asking the court to recognise him as the party’s legitimate candidate and direct the APC to submit his name to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
Bello, however, urged the court to dismiss the case, arguing that the claims were without merit. Through his legal team, the former governor said he won the primary with 72,399 votes, while Ibrahim Yakubu Adoke polled 319 votes and Obaro recorded 188 votes.
Bello further argued that the plaintiff’s case was not supported by the required affidavit and described the allegations against him as misleading.
The APC also asked the court to dismiss the suit.
With final arguments concluded, Justice Ekwo adjourned the matter to November 19 for judgment, when the court is expected to determine the validity of Bello’s emergence as the APC’s senatorial candidate for Kogi Central.
