The Federal High Court in Jalingo, Taraba State, has deferred the definite hearing of a complaint seeking to overturn the state’s All Progressives Congress (APC) chairmanship primary election to July 1, 2026.
Justice Mashkur Salisu ordered the adjournment on Monday, citing the defendants’ apparent failure to file and serve their statements of defence.
Abdulhadi Lau, an APC chairmanship candidate, filed the lawsuit to challenge the process and outcome of the party’s primary election.
Lau is requesting that the exercise be declared invalid, claiming that he was unlawfully barred from participating despite having purchased the party’s nomination forms and meeting all of the requirements to contest the position.
According to the claimant, he followed all of the appropriate processes and was properly qualified for the primary election, but he was denied the opportunity to participate in the process for no apparent reason.
He alleged that his exclusion violated his constitutional rights and damaged the party’s internal democratic norms.
Lau and his legal team urged the court to intervene and guarantee that justice is served, noting that allowing such measures to stand would create a dangerous precedent for the country’s democratic system.
He also urged the judiciary to defend the integrity of the electoral process, claiming that the barring of competent candidates from party primaries jeopardises democratic administration.
During Monday’s hearings, lawyers notified the court that the defendants had yet to file their statements of defence, prompting Justice Salisu to defer the case until July 1 for a definitive hearing.
The court is likely to hear arguments from all parties on the rescheduled date, as the legal challenge to the APC chairmanship primary election in Taraba State continues.
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