The Federal High Court in Abuja has fixed November 26, 2026, for judgment in the dispute over the Nigeria Democratic Congress ticket for the Edo South Senatorial District in the 2027 general election.
Justice Joyce Abdulmalik reserved the matter for judgment after counsel representing the parties adopted their final written arguments.
The action was instituted by former House of Representatives member Ehiozuwa Agbonayinma, who is challenging the process through which the party’s Edo South senatorial candidate emerged.
Agbonayinma claims that he secured the highest number of lawful votes during the NDC senatorial primary but was subsequently removed from the ticket.
According to his case, he was initially declared the party’s candidate before his name was allegedly substituted with that of Sunday Aguebor. He further alleges that Aguebor was subsequently replaced by Mrs Osayuki Asemota.
Agbonayinma is asking the Federal High Court to nullify the disputed nominations and declare him the lawful NDC candidate for Edo South.
The suit lists the Independent National Electoral Commission, the Nigeria Democratic Congress, Osayuki Asemota and Sunday Aguebor as defendants.
The defendants have had the opportunity to present their respective cases, and the court has not yet made a finding that the plaintiff’s allegations of unlawful substitution are established.
The dispute falls within an increasingly important area of Nigerian electoral litigation: the rules governing party primaries, nomination of candidates and substitution after a primary election.
Although political parties exercise considerable authority over their internal affairs, nomination disputes can become justiciable where litigants allege violation of applicable statutory provisions governing candidate selection.
The November judgment will therefore determine the rights of the parties in this particular nomination contest and could have a direct effect on the name presented by the NDC for the Edo South senatorial election, subject to any further appellate proceedings.
The development also comes as Nigerian courts confront several pre-election disputes ahead of 2027, reinforcing the importance of political parties maintaining clear records of primaries, results, nominations and any subsequent changes submitted to INEC.
For LegalLinkz readers, the central issue is not which aspirant should hold the ticket, but whether the nomination process complied with the governing electoral framework. That is the question now before the court for determination.
READ MORE: SERAP Sues INEC Over Political Donation Limits
SOURCE: Arise News | Lawyard
