By Chimezie Ezeji
A Federal High Court in Abuja has summoned the National Legal Adviser of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Murtala Aliyu Kankia, to appear before it over a dispute regarding the party’s legal representation in a suit filed by Senator Ifeanyi Godwin Araraume challenging the APC’s Imo North Senatorial District ticket.
Justice Salim Ibrahim issued the order on Wednesday after two Senior Advocates of Nigeria (SANs), Taminu Inuwa and B. Alabi, separately announced appearances for the APC, with each claiming to have been duly briefed by the party.
The two lawyers presented separate letters of authority signed by the same APC official. Inuwa relied on a letter dated July 29, while Alabi tendered another dated July 20. Their inability to agree on who should represent the party prompted the court to suspend further proceedings on the substantive matter.
To resolve the confusion, Justice Ibrahim directed the APC’s National Legal Adviser to appear before the court and clarify which counsel has the party’s mandate to represent it in the case.
Pending the resolution of the issue, the court ordered all parties to refrain from taking any action capable of rendering the subject matter of the suit ineffective.
The judge also specifically directed the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), represented by Dr. Alhassan Umar (SAN), not to take any step that could prejudice the subject matter of the case.
Justice Ibrahim further ordered all parties to file and exchange their court processes on or before August 7, and adjourned the matter to Monday, August 10, for further hearing.
The defendants in the suit are the APC, Patrick Chiwuba Ndubueze, and INEC.
In suit FHC/ABJ/CS/1569/2026, Araraume is challenging what he describes as his unlawful substitution as the APC’s candidate for the Imo North Senatorial District ahead of the 2027 general elections.
He contends that after the APC Appeal Committee recommended him as the party’s candidate and the decision was ratified by the party’s National Working Committee (NWC), his name was duly forwarded to INEC on June 29, 2026. However, he alleges that INEC later accepted and uploaded Patrick Chiwuba Ndubueze’s nomination on July 11, 2026, contrary to the provisions of the Electoral Act 2026 and the APC Constitution.
Araraume is asking the court to declare the substitution unlawful, direct INEC to recognise and publish his name as the APC candidate for Imo North, set aside the uploading of Ndubueze’s name, and restrain Ndubueze from parading himself as the APC candidate for the 2027 general elections.
