Court Schedules Hearing for Delta APC Primary Election Suit

The Federal High Court in Abuja has set July 6 for a hearing on a lawsuit filed by Micheal Diden, challenging the outcome of the All Progressives Congress (APC) primary election for the Delta South senatorial district. Justice Moham Umar presided over the case, where Mr.

Bankol Akomolaf, representing Diden, requested a short adjournment to respond to the defense's statement filed by Senator Joel Onowakpo. The defense's statement was submitted on June 24, leaving insufficient time for a reply.

Diden, a former chairman of the Delta State Oil Producing Area Development Commission, claims that Onowakpo was unlawfully declared the winner of the primary held on May 18, 2026, despite Diden allegedly receiving a higher vote count of 96,893 against Onowakpo's 31,918. Diden seeks a court declaration to recognize him as the valid winner and to compel the APC to forward his name to INEC for the 2027 senatorial election.