Bauchi 2027: APM Sues INEC, PRP, Senator Shehu Buba Over Governorship Candidacy

Bauchi 2027: APM Sues INEC, PRP, Senator Shehu Buba Over Governorship Candidacy

By Ahmad Muhammad, Bauchi

The Allied Peoples Movement (APM) has filed a suit at the Federal High Court in Bauchi challenging the eligibility of Senator Shehu Buba Umar to contest the 2027 Bauchi State governorship election as the candidate of the Peoples Redemption Party (PRP).

The suit, marked FHC/BAU/CS/68/2026, seeks a judicial interpretation of Sections 77(4), 77(5) and 77(6) of the Electoral Act 2026, particularly as they relate to political party membership registers and eligibility to participate in party primaries.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the PRP and Senator Shehu Buba are listed as defendants in the case.

Speaking with journalists in Bauchi, APM's Legal Adviser, Barrister Jidauna Tula, said the party instituted the action in the interest of justice and fairness, seeking the court's determination of whether Senator Shehu Buba's emergence as the PRP governorship candidate complied with the relevant provisions of the electoral law.

According to Tula, the APM's challenge centres on the allegation that Senator Shehu Buba participated in the PRP governorship primary despite his name being absent from the party's membership register submitted to INEC within the statutory period.

The APM also alleges that the senator had earlier participated in the All Progressives Congress (APC) primary process before subsequently emerging as the PRP's governorship candidate.

Legal Questions Before the Court

Counsel to the APM, Barrister Benjamin Sati, said the originating summons asks the court to determine whether Senator Shehu Buba's candidacy is lawful in view of Sections 77(4), 77(5) and 77(6) of the Electoral Act 2026.

Among the questions submitted for determination is whether the senator was eligible to participate in the PRP governorship primary held on 25 May 2026, given the allegation that his name was not included in the party's membership register submitted to INEC within the prescribed period.

The suit also asks the court to determine whether Senator Shehu Buba's alleged continued membership of the APC at the relevant time, alongside the reported absence of his name from the PRP register submitted to INEC, affects the legality of his participation in the party's primary election.

Another issue is whether the PRP complied with the statutory requirements governing the submission of its membership register before conducting its governorship primary.

The APM further seeks a determination of whether the PRP could rely on a different membership register to establish the senator's eligibility if his name was absent from the register submitted to INEC within the statutory period.

The party also questions whether INEC can lawfully retain Senator Shehu Buba's name on its final list of governorship candidates if the court finds that his participation in the PRP primary and subsequent nomination contravened the Electoral Act 2026.

APM Seeks Nullification of Nomination

In its reliefs, the APM is asking the court to declare unlawful, null and void INEC's publication of 10 October 2026, which listed Senator Shehu Buba as the PRP governorship candidate for the 2027 Bauchi State election.

The party is also seeking an order directing INEC to remove the senator's name from the final list of candidates for the governorship election.

According to the APM, Sections 77(4) and 77(5) of the Electoral Act 2026 require political parties to submit their membership registers to INEC within the prescribed statutory period before conducting primaries, while Section 77(6), as interpreted by the party, restricts the use of a different register from the one submitted to the commission.

The party maintains that the applicable register should determine eligibility to participate in the PRP governorship primary conducted on 25 May 2026.

Tula explained that the statutory deadline for the PRP to submit its membership register was 10 May 2026, being 21 days before the scheduled primary.

He alleged that Senator Shehu Buba's name was absent from the register submitted by the PRP and argued that the alleged omission raises a fundamental question about the legality of the senator's participation in the primary.

The APM further contends that Senator Shehu Buba remained an APC member as of 19 May 2026, nine days after the alleged deadline for the PRP's membership register submission.

According to the party, these circumstances call into question whether the senator was eligible to participate in the PRP primary and emerge as its governorship candidate.

INEC's Candidate List Under Challenge

The suit places INEC's publication of the final list of candidates on 10 October 2026 at the centre of the dispute, with the APM arguing that the commission's inclusion of Senator Shehu Buba's name should be reconsidered if the court determines that his nomination violated the Electoral Act.

The case therefore raises questions concerning the relationship between party membership records, eligibility to participate in primaries and the legal requirements governing the nomination of candidates for elective office.

However, the allegations and legal arguments presented by the APM remain matters for judicial determination. The filing of the suit does not, in itself, establish that Senator Shehu Buba's nomination is unlawful or that he is ineligible to contest the election.

The court's eventual determination will depend on the applicable law, the evidence presented by the parties and the interpretation of the relevant statutory provisions.

The Analyst Online Media will continue to follow the proceedings as the matter progresses.