The political crisis surrounding the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship primary in Yobe State has moved deeper into the courtroom, with the Federal High Court sitting in Damaturu adjourning the case challenging the May 21, 2026 primary to September.
Justice Fatima Murtala Amin adjourned proceedings involving APC governorship aspirant Mustapha Maihajja and the APC to September 7, 8 and 9, 2026, after three days of proceedings in which nine witnesses testified.
Maihajja is challenging the conduct of the APC governorship primary that produced Baba Malam Wali as the party’s candidate for the 2027 Yobe governorship election. He alleges that the exercise did not comply with the party’s guidelines and procedures.
According to Maihajja’s counsel, Mustapha Ibrahim, SAN, the witnesses told the court that no genuine election took place and that votes were allegedly inflated during the May 21 exercise.
The defence, however, disputed the progress of the case and argued that the matter remains far from conclusion. Counsel to the APC, Baba Dala, SAN, said only nine of 62 witnesses expected in the case had so far appeared before the court. He therefore indicated that the legal battle could continue for some time.
How the Crisis Started
The dispute dates back to the buildup to the APC primary. Several Yobe governorship aspirants had rejected efforts by party stakeholders to produce Baba Malam Wali as a consensus candidate, demanding a transparent primary.
In May, former NEMA Director-General Mustapha Maihaja, former lawmaker Bashir Machina and Kashim Musa Tumsah publicly opposed the consensus arrangement, arguing that imposing a candidate would violate the APC constitution and provisions of the Electoral Act.
Governor Mai Mala Buni had earlier said the he was prepared to conduct a direct primary if consensus failed, while appealing to aggrieved aspirants to support efforts to resolve the disagreement.
Despite the disagreement, Baba Malam Wali eventually emerged as the governorship candidate. Reports from the primary put his declared votes at 236,711, with the party describing him as having scored the highest number of votes.
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However, the legal challenge by Maihajja has kept the controversy alive, with the court now expected to hear more witnesses when proceedings resume in September.
The latest development means the Yobe governorship ticket remains subject to an ongoing judicial challenge, potentially adding another layer of uncertainty to the party’s preparations for the 2027 governorship election.
The next major development will come when the Federal High Court resumes the case on September 7, 2026.
