APC Challenges Opposition Candidates' Eligibility in Court

The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Niger State has initiated legal proceedings at the Federal High Court in Minna against opposition governorship candidates Mohammed Mamman Nami of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Mohammed Ndarani Mohammed of the Social Democratic Party (SDP). The APC is contesting their eligibility to participate in the upcoming elections, arguing that they left the APC without completing necessary membership and resignation procedures.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is named as the first defendant, alongside other political parties and individuals. The APC's legal team, led by Jacob Johnson Usman, seeks a court ruling to declare the candidates ineligible for the 2027 general elections and to annul INEC's recognition of their candidacies.

The APC's argument is based on Section 77 of the Electoral Act 2026, which mandates political parties to submit digital membership registers, claiming that some candidates were still registered with the APC during the submission period before switching parties.