Yola Seat Shocker: Court Voids Babazango's Nomination, Backs Bashir

The Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has delivered a landmark judgment, recognizing Abubakar Bashir as the rightful winner of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) primary election for the Yola North/Yola South/Girei Federal Constituency of Adamawa State. This significant ruling, delivered by Justice Chigozie S. Onah on Thursday, September 17, 2026, also mandated the nullification of the incumbent lawmaker Abubakar Babazango’s nomination as the party’s candidate for the upcoming 2027 general elections. Furthermore, the court ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to officially recognize Engr. Abubakar Bashir as the duly elected candidate, stemming from the primary election conducted on May 21, 2026.

The dispute arose following the ADC's nationwide direct primaries held in May 2026, aimed at selecting candidates for various electoral positions ahead of the 2027 elections. For the Yola North/Yola South/Girei Federal Constituency, the official results showed Abubakar Bashir polling a commanding 33,931 votes, triumphing over six other aspirants. In contrast, Abubakar Babazango, the incumbent member who had recently defected from the All Progressives Congress (APC) to the ADC, secured the lowest number of votes among all aspirants, with only 4,359 votes. Other aspirants and their scores included Zayyad Tumba (16,266), Yusuf Garba (14,611), Abubakar Mohammed (10,035), Abubakar Gabdo (8,022), and Abdulaziz Abubakar (4,501).

Following the primary election, Bashir's campaign council, led by Mohammed Daud, raised serious concerns about an alleged attempt to manipulate the results and substitute Bashir’s name with Babazango’s. A purported list circulating online, which indicated Babazango as the winner despite his dismal performance, sparked outrage. Daud vehemently described this alleged development as an affront to the party’s internal democratic process and warned against any tampering that could undermine public confidence.

Despite the ADC’s dismissal of the allegations and its denial of any plot to alter the primary election results, Bashir pursued legal recourse. He filed Suit No. FHC/ABJ/CS/1166/2026, challenging the legitimacy of Babazango’s nomination and arguing that a candidate declared winner could not be validly replaced by an aspirant who did not emerge victorious from the primary. Bashir sought the court to ascertain whether the primary was conducted in substantial compliance with the Electoral Act, the ADC Constitution, and the party’s guidelines.

Justice Onah's judgment unequivocally sided with Bashir, answering all six questions formulated in his originating summons in his favour. The court firmly held that the process leading to the acceptance and subsequent publication of Babazango’s name as the winner was inconsistent with both the ADC Constitution and its established guidelines. Critically, the court referenced Section 12 of the ADC Guidelines for the Conduct of Primary Elections, which explicitly permits candidate substitution only in the event of the declared winner's death or withdrawal. Neither of these conditions was found to have been met in Babazango's case.

Consequently, the court nullified and set aside Babazango's nomination and publication as the ADC's candidate for the House of Representatives seat. It also issued restraining orders, preventing INEC from recognizing Babazango as the winner or candidate, and prohibiting Babazango himself from presenting as the ADC candidate for the constituency in the 2027 general elections. Conversely, the court directed INEC and the ADC to formally recognize Abubakar Bashir as the legitimate winner of the primary and the party’s candidate for the Yola North/Yola South/Girei Federal Constituency.

The judgment further emphasized that, in accordance with Sections 88(2) and 84(1) of the Electoral Act, 2026, and the ADC guidelines, the party is legally bound to conduct its nomination process strictly within the applicable legal framework. The court declared that the ADC lacked the authority to nominate or declare any individual other than Bashir as the primary winner and its candidate for the constituency. While Bashir had sought N25 million in litigation costs, the court declined this specific claim, instead awarding N1 million in costs against both the ADC and Abubakar Babazango, respectively.