The Federal High Court sitting in Jalingo, Taraba State, has declared Umar Suleiman Madaki as the lawful candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) for the Jalingo I state constituency ahead of the forthcoming election.

Justice Mashkur Salisu delivered the judgment on Wednesday in Suit No. FHC/CS/23/2026, resolving a dispute that arose from the party’s primary election.

Madaki had approached the court after alleging that, although he emerged winner of the ADC primary election, he was denied the party’s ticket. He sued the party’s declared candidate, Shamsuddeen Inuwa Muhammad, the ADC and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

In his ruling, Justice Salisu declared the nomination of Shamsuddeen Inuwa Muhammad “unlawful, unconstitutional, and of no legal effect,” holding that only a candidate who emerged through a lawful primary election is entitled to recognition by the electoral body.

The court consequently declared Madaki the winner of the ADC primary election for Jalingo I state constituency and affirmed him as the party’s substantive candidate for the election.

The court also ordered INEC to immediately recognise and publish Madaki’s name as the duly nominated ADC candidate. In addition, it directed the ADC to forward his name to the electoral commission as its authentic candidate for the constituency.

Reacting to the judgment, counsel to the plaintiff, Barrister Milkman Karel, described the verdict as a victory for due process, internal party democracy and the rule of law.

He said the judgment reaffirmed the judiciary’s commitment to ensuring that political parties adhere to their constitutions and the provisions of the Electoral Act in the conduct of primary elections.

The All Progressives Congress, APC, in Osun State, has raised the alarm over an alleged N130billion airport project in the hometown of Governor Ademola Adeleke.

A statement by the APC Governorship Campaign Council described the reported increase in the contract sum from N99.5 billion to about N130 billion as criminal.

The council questioned the rationale behind the reported upward review of the project’s cost and called on the Ademola Adeleke administration to provide a detailed account of the expenditure.

The opposition party also raised concerns over reports that a substantial portion of the revised contract sum had already been paid.

According to the APC, the reported cost of the airport project exceeded the combined 2025 budgetary allocations to key sectors of the state’s economy, adding that the continued non-publication of the financial documents had fuelled public suspicion over the management of state resources.

“The recent allegations concerning the Ede Airport project, that Sowie Tee is owned by a close associate of Dr Deji Adeleke, governor’s elder brother, and that the project is a conduit pipe to steal Osun money, further underscore why the state government should immediately make these financial records available for public examination.

“If the administration has nothing to hide, it should publish all relevant financial documents and provide a comprehensive breakdown of payments made on the airport project, the stage of execution, and the basis for the reported variation in contract cost.

“The hide-and-seek posturing of the state government regarding its financials gives troubling credence to the security report at our disposal that Governor Adeleke is bent on the white elephant project in Ede because his government is relying on the project fund for vote buying during the forthcoming governorship election,” the statement read.

A former member of the Jigawa State House of Assembly who represented Dutse Constituency, Hon. Musa Sule Dutse, has resigned from the All Progressives Congress (APC), citing alleged injustice and bias in the party’s reconciliation process.

In a resignation letter obtained by DAILY POST, dated July 15, 2026, and addressed to the APC Chairman of Kachi Ward in Dutse Local Government Area, Musa announced his voluntary withdrawal from the party and terminated his membership.

The former lawmaker said his decision was prompted by what he described as the “unjustified and deceitful conduct” of the reconciliation committee, which he alleged was set up to sideline certain aspirants.

According to him, the committee’s actions were characterised by injustice, intimidation and bias throughout the reconciliation exercise, adding that many aspirants who participated in the process witnessed the alleged irregularities.

Musa maintained that the committee failed to carry out its assignment fairly, describing its role as questionable.

He noted that, despite being one of the founding members of the APC and a key figure in the party’s early development in Jigawa State, he could no longer remain in the party because of what he termed the undesirable conduct of the reconciliation committee.

Efforts to reach the committee at the time of filing this report proved unsuccessful.