2027: ADP Presidential Aspirant Sues Party, INEC Over Nomination

A presidential aspirant of the Action Democratic Party, Dr Johnson Chukwuka, has dragged the party and the Independent National Electoral Commission before the Federal High Court in Abuja over the emergence of Abbas-Bin Aliyu as the party’s candidate for the 2027 presidential election.

Chukwuka, in Suit No. FHC/ABJ/CS/1853/2026, is challenging the validity of the presidential primary reportedly conducted by the party on May 29 and 30, 2026, which produced Aliyu as the party’s presidential candidate.

In the suit, the plaintiff is asking the court to declare the purported primary invalid and nullify the result that allegedly produced Aliyu as the winner.

He is also seeking an order declaring him the duly elected presidential candidate of the ADP from the May 29 and 30 primary.

Chukwuka is further asking the court to direct INEC to remove Aliyu’s name from its records and recognise him as the party’s presidential candidate for the 2027 election.

The plaintiff contends that the nomination process breached Sections 29, 77, 84, 86 and 88 of the Electoral Act 2026, as well as provisions of the ADP’s guidelines governing its presidential primary.

The legal dispute comes amid a separate controversy over the submission of the party’s presidential nomination documents to INEC.

The ADP has reportedly petitioned the Inspector-General of Police over an alleged unauthorised upload of a presidential candidate nomination form on the INEC portal.

According to the party, the disputed form was allegedly prepared and uploaded by Fatima Mustapha, a former staff member and former INEC liaison officer whose authority to handle candidate-upload matters had previously been withdrawn.

The party has also written to the INEC Chairman, requesting the preservation of electronic audit trails, login records and IP addresses connected to the disputed upload, while calling for an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the submission.

An internal memorandum dated September 2, 2026, reportedly asked Aliyu to clarify whether he had any knowledge of or involvement in the disputed transaction.

Chukwuka’s legal team has argued that the developments raise additional questions about the process through which Aliyu’s nomination was submitted, maintaining that the party’s candidate must emerge in accordance with the Constitution, the Electoral Act and the ADP’s internal guidelines.

The suit now places the validity of the disputed primary and the subsequent nomination of Aliyu before the court for determination.

The court is expected to consider, among other issues, whether the May 29 and 30 primary was validly conducted and whether Aliyu was lawfully nominated as the ADP’s presidential candidate for the 2027 election.