Court fixes November 19 for judgment on Yahaya Bello’s Kogi Senate candidacy

The Federal High Court in Abuja has fixed November 19, 2026, for judgment in a suit challenging the emergence of former Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello, as the All Progressives Congress (APC) senatorial candidate for Kogi Central.

Justice Inyang Edem Ekwo set the date on Monday after counsel representing the parties adopted their final written addresses in the suit.

The case was instituted by Momoh Yusuf Obaro, an APC senatorial aspirant who participated in the party’s May 18, 2026, primary election for Kogi Central.

Obaro joined the APC, Bello and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as defendants, asking the court to recognise him as the lawful winner of the primary and compel the party to submit his name to INEC as its candidate for the 2027 senatorial election.

The plaintiff’s challenge centres on the conduct and outcome of the primary, with Obaro disputing the result that produced Bello as the party’s candidate.

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The APC’s declared result gave Bello 72,399 votes across the five local government areas that make up Kogi Central. Ibrahim Yakubu Adoke was declared second with 319 votes, while Obaro was credited with 188 votes.

Bello secured his highest tally in Okene, where he polled 29,621 votes. He also recorded 18,341 votes in Adavi, 10,298 in Ajaokuta, 5,146 in Ogori/Magongo and 8,943 in Okehi, according to the results announced by the APC returning officer.

However, Obaro has challenged the declared figures and the validity of the process. In his case before the Federal High Court, he is seeking judicial intervention to overturn Bello’s emergence and have his own candidacy recognised.

Bello, in his defence, urged the court to dismiss the suit, arguing that it lacked merit. He maintained that he won the primary with the votes announced by the party and challenged the legal basis of Obaro’s claims.

The former governor also argued that the suit was procedurally defective, including an allegation that it was not supported by the required affidavit.

The legal dispute comes as Bello prepares for the 2027 National Assembly elections, having emerged from the APC primary as its Kogi Central candidate.

The former governor, who served as Kogi State governor from 2016 to 2024, remains involved in separate legal proceedings arising from allegations brought by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). Bello has denied the allegations and pleaded not guilty in the relevant cases.

The judgment by Justice Ekwo on November 19 will determine the immediate legal status of the challenge to Bello’s APC senatorial candidacy and could have implications for the party’s representation in the Kogi Central contest.