The Federal High Court in Abuja on Monday reserved judgment in a suit seeking to nullify former Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello’s emergence as the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate for Kogi Central Senatorial District.
Justice Inyang Ekwo fixed November 19, 2026, to deliver judgment after lawyers representing the parties adopted their final written addresses in the suit.
The case, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1085/2026, was filed by Momoh Yusuf Obaro, an APC senatorial aspirant who is challenging Bello’s emergence from the party’s May 18 primary election.
Obaro told the court that he won the primary based on the lawful votes cast but was allegedly sidelined by the party, which subsequently gave the ticket to Bello.
He is asking the court to declare him the authentic APC candidate for the Kogi Central senatorial election and order the party to forward his name to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
But Bello, through his legal team, urged the court to dismiss the suit, insisting that he won the primary with 72,399 votes.
According to the former governor, Ibrahim Yakubu Adoke came second with 319 votes, while Obaro polled 188 votes.
Bello described Obaro’s claims as outrageous, contrived and misleading, while also arguing that the suit was not supported by an affidavit as required by law.
The APC similarly urged the court to dismiss the case for lacking merit.
After hearing the submissions, Justice Ekwo reserved judgment in the matter and fixed November 19 for his ruling.
