The Federal High Court in Abuja has fixed October 12, 2026, for judgment in the suit challenging the emergence of Senator Emmanuel Memga Udende as the All Progressives Congress (APC) senatorial candidate for Benue North-East in the 2027 general election.
The case was instituted by former Benue State Governor and former senator, Gabriel Torwua Suswam, following the controversy surrounding the APC senatorial primary held on May 18, 2026. Suswam had emerged from the primary as the declared winner, securing 131,083 votes against Udende’s 1,364 votes, according to the result announced by the APC National Assembly Primary Election Committee. However, his name was subsequently replaced with that of Udende as the party’s candidate, prompting Suswam to seek judicial intervention.
At the hearing, counsel to Suswam, Jibrin Okutepa, SAN, urged the court to determine whether the APC had the legal authority to substitute his client’s name after he had been declared winner of the primary. Suswam is also seeking orders challenging the submission of Udende’s name to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), as well as consequential orders compelling the APC to recognise him as the party’s candidate.
Counsel to INEC, Anthony Malik, SAN, told the court that the commission’s monitoring report and the result of the primary had been tendered as exhibits. Malik urged the court to determine the matter on the basis of the evidence before it, including the result of the primary.
The APC and Udende, however, opposed Suswam’s claims and urged the court to dismiss the suit. With the final submissions of the parties concluded, Justice Inyang Ekwo reserved judgment until October 12.
The decision is expected to determine a crucial stage of the dispute over the APC’s senatorial ticket for Benue North-East ahead of the 2027 elections. The court’s eventual orders will determine the legal consequences of its findings regarding the May 18 primary, the subsequent substitution and the party’s nomination process. For now, the competing claims remain before the court, with all eyes on the Federal High Court in Abuja as the parties await the October 12 judgment.
