The Federal High Court in Abuja has adjourned until October 14, 2026, a suit seeking to nullify the emergence of Senator Ireti Kingibe as the African Democratic Party (ADC) candidate for the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Senatorial District ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Key Highlights
- The Federal High Court in Abuja adjourned the suit challenging Senator Ireti Kingibe’s emergence as the ADC FCT senatorial candidate to October 14, 2026.
- The case was brought by Mubarak Tijani, an aggrieved ADC aspirant, who is seeking to nullify the party’s May 21, 2026, primary election.
- Tijani’s lawyer alleged that Kingibe had not been properly served with the court processes, leading to the adjournment.
- The court directed the plaintiff’s counsel to properly serve Kingibe and ordered that INEC be served with a hearing notice.
- The ADC has already been served and filed a preliminary objection and counter-affidavit challenging the suit.
Justice Salim Ibrahim fixed the new date on Tuesday after lawyers representing the parties agreed to the adjournment.
At the proceedings, Kingibe’s lawyer, Marshal Abubakar, told the court that he was appearing under protest because the plaintiff had yet to serve his client with the court processes.
Counsel to the plaintiff, Mubarak Tijani, Moses Awuru, admitted that it was only on Monday that he confirmed the court bailiff had not served the documents on Kingibe.
Awuru informed the court that the bailiff had been mobilised for the service and said he had discussed the matter with Abubakar, who indicated he would accept the documents.
However, Abubakar said his client only became aware of the case through reports on social media, prompting him to apply for copies of the court documents.
Counsel to the ADC, Oladipupo Oladele, told the court that the party had already been served and had filed both a preliminary objection and a counter-affidavit challenging the suit.
Justice Ibrahim directed the plaintiff’s counsel to ensure that Kingibe was properly served and also ordered that a hearing notice be issued and served on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), which was not represented in court.
Tijani, an aggrieved ADC aspirant, is asking the court to invalidate the outcome of the party’s May 21, 2026, primary election that produced Kingibe as its FCT senatorial candidate.
In the suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1170/2026, filed on June 4 through his lawyer, Kolawole Olowookere (SAN), Tijani also seeks an order restraining the ADC from forwarding Kingibe’s name to INEC and preventing the electoral commission from recognising or publishing her as the party’s candidate.
The plaintiff argues that the primary election violated the Electoral Act 2026 as well as the ADC constitution and guidelines governing the conduct of party primaries.
He is also asking the court to compel the party to conduct a fresh, transparent and lawful primary election under INEC’s supervision.
In an affidavit filed in support of the suit, Tijani stated that he purchased the party’s expression of interest and nomination forms, was screened and cleared to contest, and campaigned across the FCT ahead of the primary.
He alleged that although the party fixed May 21 for the exercise and communicated the venue to aspirants and INEC, no election took place at the designated location.
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According to him, election materials were never deployed, while party members, delegates and aspirants waited for hours without any accreditation or voting.
Tijani further alleged that election officials and materials were diverted to a private property in Gudu, Abuja, allegedly belonging to Kingibe, where he claimed no lawful primary election was conducted.
He accused unnamed officials of secretly collating results at the location and later declaring Kingibe winner despite the absence of any voting process.
The plaintiff also claimed that his appeal to the party’s appeal committee was ignored.
He urged the court to intervene, arguing that allowing the disputed result to stand would violate his rights and those of party members who, he said, were denied the opportunity to participate in a free and transparent primary election.
