The Federal High Court sitting in Damaturu, Yobe State, has dismissed a suit filed by Engr. Mustapha Yunusa Maihaja challenging the emergence of Alhaji Baba Malam Wali as the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate for the 2027 general election in the state.
Maihaja, one of the aspirants who contested the party’s governorship primary held on May 21, 2026, had approached the court to challenge the outcome of the exercise, alleging irregularities, including over-voting and non-compliance with the party’s electoral guidelines.
Delivering judgement on Monday, Justice Fatima Murtala Amin upheld the 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 and held that Maihaja failed to establish his claims with credible evidence.
The court further found material contradictions and inconsistencies in the testimonies of the plaintiff’s witnesses, rendering their evidence unreliable and insufficient to sustain 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 petitioner could not prove the alleged over-voting.
Wali emerged as the APC governorship candidate after securing 236,711 votes in the May 21 primary election.
Reacting to the judgment, Shuaibu Abdullahi, Press Secretary to Wali, 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.
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