The Federal High Court sitting in Jalingo, the Taraba state capital, has adjourned to July 1, 2026, for definite hearing a suit seeking the nullification of the chairmanship primary election conducted by the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state.
The adjournment was granted on Monday by Justice Mashkur Salisu following the alleged failure of the defendants in the matter to file and serve their statements of defence within the stipulated time.
The suit was instituted by an APC chairmanship aspirant, Abdulhadi Lau, who is challenging the conduct and outcome of the party’s chairmanship primary election in Taraba state.
Lau, through his legal team, is asking the court to declare the primary election null and void, alleging that he was unlawfully excluded from participating in the exercise despite fulfilling all requirements laid down by the party.
According to the claimant, he had duly purchased the nomination forms, completed all necessary procedures, and was qualified to contest for the position. However, he alleged that he was denied the opportunity to participate in the primary election without any justifiable reason.
The plaintiff argued that the action of the party violated his constitutional rights as well as the provisions governing internal party democracy. He urged the court to intervene and ensure justice is served.
Speaking on the matter, Lau maintained that the court’s intervention had become necessary to safeguard democratic principles within political parties and prevent what he described as a dangerous precedent capable of undermining the nation’s democratic process.
He appealed to the judiciary to act decisively in order to protect the integrity of the electoral system, stressing that the exclusion of qualified aspirants from party primaries poses a threat to democratic governance.
At the resumed hearing, counsel in the matter informed the court that the defendants had yet to file their statements of defence, prompting Justice Salisu to adjourn the case to July 1, 2026, for definite hearing.
The court is expected to hear arguments from all parties on the next adjourned date as the legal battle over the APC chairmanship primary election continues.
