Court orders ADC, INEC to maintain status quo in Kebbi candidate dispute

The Federal High Court in Abuja has issued a ruling requiring the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and other parties engaged in a dispute over a Kebbi State candidate to keep the current situation unchanged until the legal matter is fully resolved. This decision stemmed from a lawsuit filed by Abubakar Sadiq Sa’adu Fakai, who asserts that he should remain the candidate for the Zuru/Fakai/Danko Wasagu/Sakaba Federal Constituency after initially winning the primary election.

Fakai contends that the ADC, in defiance of his formal withdrawal from the race, organized an additional primary to replace him with Bashar Sulaiman Bajida. His legal team, Ezra Enwere from Savannah Law LP, requested an injunction before the court on Thursday, seeking orders to prevent the ADC and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from altering the registered candidate's name.

The court, however, decided that immediate intervention was not necessary and postponed the matter to a later date, fixing September 8, 2026, for the substantive hearing.

The court's ruling mandates that all involved parties adhere to the existing status quo until the case is settled. This means Fakai's name will continue to be listed on the official electoral portal until the legal process concludes. Fakai emphasized to the court that he remains confident that the ruling will adhere to the established legal framework, and he urged his supporters to maintain peace and compliance with the law in the interim.