‘Supreme Court verdict does not affect Shehu Buba’

The Peoples Redemption Party (PRP) governorship candidate in Bauchi State, Senator Shehu Buba Umar, insists that the recent Supreme Court judgment on the Electoral Act 2026 will not impact his bid for the 2027 gubernatorial position. According to his legal team, the Supreme Court's September 24, 2026 ruling in the case between the Independent National Electoral Commission and the Zenith Labour Party should not be interpreted as automatically applying to Buba's nomination.

The legal team argued that Buba's inclusion in that category was "erroneous, misplaced and misconceived". They emphasized that Buba had joined the PRP early enough to meet the required statutory requirements and had not taken part in the governorship primary of his previous political party before transferring allegiance. The team further maintained that he could not be classified as a candidate who emerged late or sought nomination through another platform after participating in a prior primary.

They contended that Buba and the PRP were not parties to the litigation and that the Supreme Court case dealt with specific parties and circumstances, which should be taken into account when interpreting the judgment, rather than applying it generally to all candidates who change parties.