Adamawa ADC governorship aspirant drags party, INEC to court over primary election

A governorship aspirant of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) in Adamawa State, Ishaya Durkwa, has sued the party as well as the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), seeking the cancellation of the governorship primary he was said to have lost.

Durkwa is before the Federal High Court sitting in Yola, urging the court to restrain the declared winner of the primary, Omar Suleiman, from parading himself as the party’s gubernatorial candidate for 2027.

Omar was declared winner of the primary election, which was held on May 23, 2026, and has since been recognised as the ADC gubernatorial candidate.

In the suit, in which he joined the ADC, INEC and Omar Suleiman as defendants, Durkwa is alleging violations of the Electoral Act, citing a process he claims was not free and fair.

He is praying for an order nullifying both the said primary election and the declaration of Omar as winner.

He is further asking for an order directing the ADC to conduct a fresh governorship primary election for Adamawa State in compliance with Sections 84 and 86 of the Electoral Act