Kebbi ADC candidate Abubakar Labbo Gwandu sues the party and INEC, alleging he was illegally replaced after winning the Gwandu primary
House of Representatives candidate Abubakar Labbo Gwandu has sued the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) at the Federal High Court in Birnin Kebbi over his alleged removal as the party’s candidate for Gwandu Federal Constituency ahead of the 2027 general elections.
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Labbo, who claims to have won the ADC’s primary election for the constituency, also joined Muhammad Umar Jega and Mansur Musa Jega as defendants in the suit.
The Kebbi ADC candidate alleged that he was initially recognised as the winner of the party’s legally conducted primary before his name was replaced with that of Muhammad Umar Jega.
According to Labbo, Jega was subsequently replaced by Mansur Musa Jega as the ADC candidate for the same constituency.
Labbo alleged that the changes were made without his knowledge or consent and described the process as an injustice that unlawfully deprived him of the opportunity to contest the election.
“I won the primaries but was later replaced with Umar Jega, and he was also replaced by Mansur Musa Jega after allegedly giving a huge graft to Wambai, who facilitated my replacement after I was declared by INEC as the winner of the primaries,” he said.
The allegation of financial inducement is Labbo’s claim and has not been established by a court.
The former candidate said he approached the Federal High Court seeking to challenge what he considers an illegal alteration of the party’s nomination process and to have his candidature restored.
He maintained that neither the ADC nor any other party official sought his consent before his alleged replacement.
Labbo said the case had already come up for its first hearing before the court proceeded on vacation.
The dispute places the ADC’s nomination process in Gwandu Federal Constituency under judicial scrutiny as political parties prepare for the 2027 elections.
For Labbo, the central issue is whether the party can replace a candidate who claims to have won a validly conducted primary without his consent and in circumstances he considers improper.
He has therefore continued to maintain that he remains the legitimate candidate produced by the ADC primary election.
The court is expected to consider the claims and responses of the defendants as the legal process progresses.
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The outcome could determine who ultimately represents the ADC in the contest for Gwandu Federal Constituency, while also providing a judicial test of the circumstances surrounding the disputed candidate replacements.
