A House of Representatives aspirant of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, for the Akwanga/Nasarawa Eggon/Wamba Federal Constituency, David Ayuba Dumwe, has approached the Federal High Court in Lafia to challenge the alleged emergence of Beauty Sudar Aliyu as the party’s consensus candidate for the 2027 general elections.

In the suit marked FHC/LF/CS/9/2026, Dumwe is seeking judicial intervention over what he described as an unlawful declaration of a candidate without due consultation and compliance with the provisions of the Electoral Act.

The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, and Beauty Sudar Aliyu were joined as second and third defendants, respectively.

According to court documents, the plaintiff contends that the PDP announced Aliyu as its consensus candidate without obtaining his consent as an aspirant and without conducting a valid primary election for the constituency.

Dumwe argued that the action allegedly violated established democratic procedures and the relevant provisions governing the nomination of candidates for elective offices.

The aspirant is therefore asking the court to determine the legality of the purported consensus arrangement and the party’s nomination process for the federal constituency seat.

He further maintained that all aspirants seeking elective positions under a political party are entitled to a transparent and lawful process as stipulated by the Electoral Act and the party’s constitution.

The legal action comes amid heightened political activities and consultations ahead of the 2027 general elections, with parties across the country concluding their candidate selection processes.

The Federal High Court sitting in Lafia has fixed June 16, 2026, for hearing of the matter.

A lawyer in Enugu State, Aroh Dominic, has warned the national leadership of the Nigeria Democratic Congress, NDC, against announcing candidates for elective positions in the state, citing alleged irregularities in the party’s primary elections.

DAILY POST reports that the warning comes amid growing controversy over the outcome of the NDC primaries conducted last week, with attention now focused on the party’s national secretariat, which is expected to release the final list of candidates.

In a letter addressed to the National Chairman of the party on behalf of an NDC member, Idoko Chidozie, Aroh alleged that no primary election was conducted in Nsukka and Igbo-Eze South Local Government Areas for the House of Assembly, House of Representatives, Senate and governorship positions.

According to the lawyer, party members gathered at designated venues in both local government areas in anticipation of the primaries, but no party officials arrived to conduct the exercise.

He stated that although aspirants and party supporters were present, the absence of party officials prevented the conduct of a valid primary election.

Aroh further alleged that some aspirants later organised separate exercises, which officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, the police and other relevant agencies reportedly indicated would not be recognised.

The lawyer maintained that any attempt by the party to announce candidates for the affected positions would be challenged in court.

He also accused the party of planning to submit candidates despite the alleged failure to conduct primaries in the two local government areas.

The letter demanded an explanation from the party within 24 hours and warned that legal action would be instituted if the demands were not met.

Among the reliefs being sought are the refund of monies allegedly paid by aspirants, sanctions against those responsible for the alleged irregularities, and an order preventing any beneficiary of the process from being recognised as a candidate.

Meanwhile, the NDC national leadership has yet to authenticate any list of successful candidates from Enugu State.

One faction of the party in the state, led by Dr. Johnpaul Anih, had earlier released a list of winners following the primaries, while another faction is led by Ibuchukwu Obetta. The national leadership has not officially endorsed either list.

Five political parties accused of being in gross breach of the 1999 Constitution will today, Friday, at the Federal High Court in Abuja have their fates decided on whether they would be eligible to participate in the 2027 general elections or not. 

The legality of their existence as registered and recognized political parties by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) will be decided in a make or mar judgment billed to be handed down by Justice Peter Odo Lifu. 

The parties facing deregistration legal battle instituted against them by a group of former lawmakers in the country are the David Mark-led African Democratic Congress (ADC), Action People’s Party (APP), Accord Party, (AP) Zenith Labour Party, (ZLP) and the Action Alliance Party, (AAP).

A civil society group, the Incorporated Trustees of the National Forum of Former Legislators (NFFL) dragged the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, before the court praying for an order to compel it to deregister the five parties and prohibit them from participating in political activities in the country.

The group predicated its opposition against the existence of the parties on the alleged violations of the 1999 Constitutional provisions guiding party registration, recognition and existence. 

Incidentally, the Attorney-General of the Federation, (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Prince Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, though, a defendant in the suit, opted to support those seeking deregistration of the parties.

He engaged a Professor of Law and Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Joshua Olukayode Olatoke to canvass for prohibition of the parties out of existence. 

INEC however, countered the suit in its defense, describing the plaintiff as a busy body that lacked locus standi (legal right) to file the suit and asked the court to dismiss it for being unmeritorious. 

The suit, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/2637/25, was targeted against INEC, AGF as the two defendants but by extension, the five political parties. 

The originating summons was pursuant to Section 225 (A) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), Section 75 (4) of the Electoral Act, 2022, and applicable provisions of the Federal High Court (Civil Procedure) Rules, 2019.

At the heart of the reliefs being sought is whether INEC is constitutionally bound to deregister political parties that failed to meet the minimum electoral performance thresholds prescribed by law.

These include securing at least 25 per cent of votes cast in one state in a presidential election, winning a local government area in a governorship election, or clinching at least one seat in elections ranging from Councillorship to the National Assembly.

The plaintiff is asking the court to determine whether INEC is empowered, or indeed obligated to enforce the thresholds against the affected parties, which allegedly failed to win any ward, legislative seat, or elective office in previous elections.

Other issues for determination include whether the affected parties are still eligible to be recognised as legally registered political parties, and whether INEC can lawfully acknowledge or give effect to their political activities, such as congresses, primaries, campaigns, and participation in the 2027 general elections, without strict compliance with Section 225 (A) of the Constitution.

Among the reliefs sought are declaratory orders affirming that INEC is duty-bound to enforce constitutional benchmarks as a precondition for party registration and participation in elections, as well as orders compelling the electoral body to deregister the affected parties.

The plaintiff is also seeking mandatory and perpetual order of injunctions restraining INEC from recognising, accepting, or giving effect to any political activities or correspondence from the parties unless and until they fully comply with constitutional and statutory requirements.

In an affidavit in support of an originating summons deposed to by Hon. Igbokwe Raphael Nnanna, Chairman, Board of Trustees and National Coordinator of the NFFL, the group accused INEC of neglecting its constitutional duty by continuing to recognise political parties that have failed to meet the minimum performance thresholds prescribed by the 1999 Constitution (as amended).

According to the affidavit, the affected parties have, since their registration, failed to win a single elective seat at any level of government, including presidential, governorship, National Assembly, state assembly, chairmanship or council elections.

The plaintiff further claimed that the parties did not secure the constitutionally required 25 per cent of votes in at least one state in presidential elections, nor any representation across the country’s 8,809 wards, 774 local government areas, 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory.

Hon. Nnanna averred that despite these “total electoral failures,” INEC has continued to accord the parties full recognition, an action the group described as unconstitutional and contrary to the Electoral Act 2022 and INEC’s Regulations and Guidelines for Political Parties, 2022.

The plaintiff warned that unless restrained by the court, INEC may unlawfully permit the affected parties to participate in the 2027 general elections, thereby “clogging the ballot papers, overstretching administrative resources and misleading voters.”

The former lawmakers argued that the continued existence of non-performing parties undermines political sanity, electoral integrity and genuine competition, while also resulting in wastage of public funds.

Describing the action as a public interest suit, the NFFL urged the court to compel INEC to enforce constitutional compliance by deregistering political parties that have failed to meet the stipulated thresholds, in order to deepen democracy and uphold the rule of law ahead of future elections.

Yakubu Abdullahi Ruba, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, SAN supported by Barrister Gbenga Makanjuola argued for the former lawmakers during proceedings asking that the five political parties be proscribed out of existence. 

However, Musibau Adetunmibi, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria SAN and Attah Eneojo Aruwa SAN argued for the Accord Party and African Democratic Congress respectively in urging the Court to dismiss the suit of the plaintiff for being frivolous, baseless and unwarranted.