The Allied Peoples Movement (APM) has filed a suit at the Federal High Court, Bauchi, challenging the eligibility of Tijjani Aliyu Mohammed of the Peoples Redemption Party (PRP) to contest the 2027 governorship election as deputy governorship candidate.
The party argued that Tijjani Aliyu’s name was not on the list submitted to the electoral body by the PRP before INEC closed the submission of names of registered members.
The Legal Adviser to the APM, Barrister Jidauna Tula, told reporters in Bauchi that the suit, numbered FHC/BAU/CS/70/2026, was filed in the interest of justice and fairness to interpret the Electoral Act regarding the candidacy of Tijjani Aliyu Mohammed as PRP deputy governorship candidate in the 2027 general election.
Tula said the suit was filed seeking enforcement of Sections 77(4), 77(5) and 77(6) of the Electoral Act, 2026.
He said the case was filed against the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Tijjani Aliyu Mohammed and the Peoples Redemption Party (PRP) because INEC published the name of Tijjani Aliyu as the PRP deputy governorship candidate in its list of eligible candidates for the 2027 governorship election.
He said the party is asking the court to determine:
“Whether the publication by the electoral body on the 10th of October 2026, displaying the name of Tijjani Aliyu as the running mate/Deputy Governorship candidate of the 3rd Defendant for the 2027 Bauchi State Governorship Election is lawful, having regard to the combined provisions of Sections 77(4), 77(5) and 77(6) of the Electoral Act 2026.”
“Whether, having regard to Section 77(5) of the Electoral Act 2026, the name of Tijjani Aliyu was lawfully published by INEC on the 10th of October 2026 as the running mate/Deputy Governorship candidate of the PRP in the 2027 Bauchi State Governorship election, when Tijjani Aliyu Mohammed’s name was not present on the 3rd Defendant’s register of members submitted by the PRP to INEC.”
“Whether INEC lawfully published the name of Tijjani Aliyu on the 10th of October 2026 as the running mate/Deputy Governorship candidate of the PRP in the 2027 Bauchi State Governorship election given the 2nd Defendant’s continued membership of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as at the 10th of May 2026 when PRP submitted its register of members to INEC.”
“Whether INEC lawfully published the name of Tijjani on the 10th of October 2026 as the running mate/Deputy Governorship candidate of the 3rd Defendant in the 2027 Bauchi State Governorship election, the 3rd Defendant having failed to comply with the provisions of Section 77(4) of the Electoral Act, 2026 when it submitted its register of members to INEC on the 10th of May 2026, and held its primary election on the 25th of May 2026.”
“Whether, in the light of the cumulative breaches of the Electoral Act 2026, the publication of the name of Tijjani Aliyu by INEC on the 10th of October 2026 as the running mate/Deputy Governorship candidate of the PRP in the 2027 Bauchi State Governorship election is not unlawful, illegal, null, void and of no legal effect whatsoever.”
Tula said the party is seeking the following reliefs:
A declaration that the qualification/disqualification of a candidate as running mate/Deputy Governorship published by INEC on the 10th of October 2026, displaying the name of Tijjani Aliyu as the running mate/Deputy Governorship candidate of the PRP for the 2027 Bauchi State Governorship Election, is unlawful, having regard to the combined provisions of Sections 177(c) and 187(2) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended).
A declaration that the publication by INEC on the 10th of October 2026, displaying the name of Tijjani Aliyu as the running mate/Deputy Governorship candidate of the PRP for the 2027 Bauchi State Governorship Election, is unlawful, having regard to the combined provisions of Sections 77(4), 77(5) and 77(6) of the Electoral Act 2026.
A declaration that the name of Tijjani Aliyu as running mate/Deputy was unlawfully published for the 2027 Bauchi State Governorship election when his name was not present on the PRP’s register of members submitted to INEC on the 10th of May 2026.
A declaration that Tijjani Aliyu’s name was unlawfully published by INEC on the 10th of October 2026 as the running mate/Deputy Governorship candidate of the PRP in the 2027 Bauchi State Governorship election, given his continued membership of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as at the 10th of May 2026 when the PRP submitted its membership register to INEC.
A declaration that INEC unlawfully published the name of Tijjani Aliyu on the 10th of October 2026 as the running mate/Deputy Governorship candidate of the PRP in the 2027 Bauchi State Governorship election, the 3rd Defendant having failed to comply with the provisions of Section 77(4) of the Electoral Act, 2026 when it submitted its register of members to INEC on the 10th of May 2026, and held its primary election on the 25th of May 2026.
A declaration that in the light of the cumulative breaches of the Electoral Act 2026, the publication of the name of Tijjani Aliyu on the 10th of October 2026 as the Deputy Governorship candidate of the PRP in the 2027 Bauchi State Governorship election is unlawful, illegal, null, void and of no legal effect whatsoever.
He said the party’s counsel, Luka Musa Haruna, SAN, is also seeking “a mandatory order directing INEC to forthwith remove/strike out Tijjani Aliyu as the running mate/Deputy Governorship candidate of the PRP from its final list of candidates for the 2027 Governorship Election in Bauchi State, published on the 10th of October 2026,” citing Section 187(2) of the Constitution which provides that provisions relating to qualification, disqualification, declaration of assets and liabilities and oath of Governor shall apply to the office of Deputy Governor, and Section 77(4) of the Electoral Act 2026, which prescribes a 21-day period before the date fixed for party primary, congress or convention within which a political party must make its membership register available to INEC.
Last week, the APM filed a suit challenging the eligibility of PRP governorship candidate, Senator Shehu Buba Umar, to contest the 2027 governorship election in Bauchi State, but Buba’s team of lawyers argued that he is contesting lawfully.
