A governorship hopeful from the African Democratic Congress (ADC) in Adamawa State, Ishaya Durkwa, has initiated legal proceedings against his party and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). The suit seeks to nullify the governorship primary he allegedly lost. Durkwa has approached the Federal High Court in Yola, requesting an order to prevent the declared winner, Omar Suleiman, from presenting himself as the ADC’s gubernatorial candidate for the 2027 elections.
Omar was announced as the winner of the primary election conducted on May 23, 2026, and has since been acknowledged as the ADC’s candidate for the governorship race. In his lawsuit, Durkwa names the ADC, INEC, and Omar Suleiman as defendants, accusing them of violating provisions of the Electoral Act. He argues that the primary was neither free nor fair.
The aspirant is pleading with the court to cancel both the primary election and the subsequent declaration of Omar as the winner. Additionally, he seeks a directive compelling the ADC to organize a fresh governorship primary for Adamawa State, in compliance with Sections 84 and 86 of the Electoral Act. The case underscores ongoing internal disputes within the party ahead of the 2027 elections.