Court Dismisses Maihaja’s Suit Against Wali’s Ticket

The Federal High Court sitting in Damaturu, Yobe State, has dismissed a suit challenging the emergence of Alhaji Baba Malam Wali as the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate for the 2027 general election.

The suit was instituted by Engr. Mustapha Yunusa Maihaja, one of the aspirants who contested the party’s governorship primary held on 21 May 2026. He challenged the outcome on the grounds of alleged irregularities, including over-voting and non-compliance with the party’s electoral guidelines.

Delivering judgment on Monday, 9 November 2026, Justice Fatima Murtala Amin upheld a preliminary objection challenging the competence of the suit, ruling that it was statute-barred because it was instituted outside the constitutionally prescribed period.

The court also considered the substantive allegations of over-voting but held that the plaintiff failed to establish his claims with credible evidence.

Justice Amin further identified material contradictions and inconsistencies in the testimonies of the plaintiff’s witnesses, describing their evidence as unreliable and insufficient to substantiate the allegations.

The judge held that even if the suit had been filed within the legally prescribed period, it would still have failed on its merits because the plaintiff could not prove the alleged over-voting.

Wali emerged as the APC governorship candidate after polling 236,711 votes in the party’s primary election held on 21 May 2026.

Reacting to the judgment, Wali’s Press Secretary, Shuaibu Abdullahi, commended the court for what he described as its painstaking consideration of the issues.

“We commend the Court for its painstaking consideration of the issues and reaffirm our confidence in the judiciary as the ultimate guardian of justice and the rule of law,” Abdullahi said.

The judgment marks a setback for Maihaja’s legal challenge to Wali’s emergence as the APC governorship candidate, although further legal steps may still be available to the plaintiff.