2027: Bauchi APM sues Shehu Buba over PRP gubernatorial candidacy

The Bauchi State chapter of the Allied Peoples Movement (APM) on Monday filed a suit at the Federal High Court in Bauchi, challenging the eligibility of Senator Shehu Buba Umar as the Peoples Redemption Party (PRP) governorship candidate for the 2027 general elections.

The suit seeks the court’s determination of the PRP candidate’s eligibility under the Electoral Act, as amended, and other relevant guidelines governing the 2026 party primaries ahead of the 2027 general elections.

According to the APM, Senator Shehu Buba Umar had earlier contested the governorship primary election of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) but lost.

The party alleged that after failing to secure the APC ticket, the senator left the party and later emerged as the PRP governorship candidate, whose name was subsequently published by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

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The case has just been filed, and the hearing is yet to commence as no hearing date has been fixed, while court processes are expected to be served on the relevant parties.

Briefing journalists shortly after filing the suit, the APM State Legal Adviser, Barrister Jidauna Tula, said the party was seeking justice and wanted the court to interpret the electoral law regarding Senator Shehu Buba’s candidacy.

According to him, “Between the date Sen Shehu Buba Umar contested APC gubernatorial primary, lost and joined the PRP and afterwards emerged as its gubernatorial candidate was less than the days required by law for membership of a political party.”

He said, “On the 10th of October, 2026, INEC published the final list of gubernatorial candidates for the 2027 general elections in Bauchi State and the name of Sen Shehu Buba Umar appeared on the list. We have observed that he did not meet the requirements of the Electoral Act of 21 days of party membership before being eligible for party primaries.

“We are aware that in May, he contested the APC gubernatorial primary election, but having lost out in the contest, he ran to the PRP and picked up the party gubernatorial ticket on the 25th of the same month of May; it was just a 4-day interval; he had not met the Electoral Act requirements of registration of membership of the PRP.

“We are therefore challenging his inclusion in the list of gubernatorial candidates in Bauchi State in line with the judgement of the Supreme Court that nobody can challenge the Electoral Act requirements as well as the electoral guidelines released by INEC for the purposes of the 2027 general elections.”

Continuing, Jidauna Tula added that, “We want the Court to determine his status as a gubernatorial candidate of the PRP in the 2027 general elections. This is a pre-election matter which has significant impact on the outcome of the process itself. Even if he wins the election but loses the pre-election matter, it is as good as losing the main election. Such cases are not time-bound. It can go up to the Supreme Court aside the election petition.”

Efforts to obtain reactions from the PRP and the candidate were unsuccessful, as the relevant officials contacted, including the senator’s Special Adviser on Media and Communication, Comrade Sabo Muhammad, did not respond.