Supreme Court for Abuja don uphold sections 77 and 84 of Electoral Act 2026. Di judgment come on Thursday. E set aside Court of Appeal judgment wey Zenith Labour Party win. Seven-man panel wey Justice Adamu Jauro lead rule say INEC get power. Court award N2 million against ZLP. Two other appeals by Social Democratic Party and Youth Party also fall. SDP appeal dismiss on merit. Youth Party appeal strike out as incompetent because e file out of time by one day.
Since di judgment, political atmosphere don charge. Some parties dey happy, some dey anxious. People dey speculate say candidates wey defect go suffer. But no official list from INEC. Analysts talk say interpretation still open.
Those being mentioned include ex-IGP Mohammed Adamu, wey lose APC primary for Nasarawa and move to SDP to get ticket. Sheikh Isa Pantami of Gombe State, wey leave APC join PDP and become governorship candidate. Kingsley Chinda for Rivers, wey leave PDP join APC and win governorship primary. Shehu Buba for Bauchi, wey defect to PRP and get ticket. Mohammed Nami for Niger State. Senator Saliu Mustapha for Kwara, wey move to PDP after APC deny am ticket.
For Bauchi, Senator Shehu Buba Umar dismiss reports say judgment go affect am. Through im media adviser Comrade Sabo Mohammed, he talk say he comply with electoral law. He talk say Supreme Court judgment take effect September 24, 2026 and no go retroactive. He talk say primaries, membership registers and nomination done before ruling follow old rules. Im legal team dey review judgment. Im governorship ambition still on course.
For Nasarawa, supporters of ex-IGP Adamu and APC governorship candidate Ahmed Aliyu Wadada dey differ. Wadada supporters celebrate for social media say Adamu no go make ballot. Adamu campaign organisation director Otaru Douglas talk say no cause for alarm. He talk say Supreme Court only restore sections 77 and 84, no disqualify Adamu. He talk say SDP membership register no invalid, direct primary wey produce Adamu no invalid, no court order INEC delist am. Certified True Copy never release.
For Kwara, PDP publicity secretary Olusegun Olushola Adewara talk say party no be part of Supreme Court case and no dey challenge INEC candidate list. He talk say INEC don publish PDP list. He talk say power to nominate candidates dey with parties if dem follow constitution and electoral act. He reject claim say judgment affect Senator Saliu Mustapha, PDP candidate for Kwara Central, and Kolo Jiya for Kwara North. He talk say Mustapha enter after initial nominee Otukoko withdraw and waiver granted. Same for two House of Assembly members wey defect. ADC chairman Babatunde Mohammed talk say judgment no affect ADC candidates because new members no participate for primaries.
For Rivers, hopes of APC governorship candidate Kingsley Chinda and NDC senatorial candidate Awaji-Inombek Dagomie Abiante dey hang. Chinda win APC primary May 21, 2026 after Governor Siminalayi Fubara withdraw. His resignation from PDP read for National Assembly June 2, 2026. Supporters of opposition parties dey jubilate. Abiante, member representing Andoni-Opobo/Nkoro federal constituency, buy APC form but disqualify before joining NDC.
For Adamawa, Labour Party state chairman Theman Jonah Kalpenge talk say governorship candidate Senator Ishaku Abbo no get issue. He talk say Abbo register with party April 2026 and primary hold May 30. Abbo formerly dey APC, then ADC, before Labour Party. APM governorship candidate Abdulrahaman Bashir Haske dey face challenge according to pundits. He join APC 2025, contest primary May 2026, no get ticket, resign August 20, 2026, join APM same August, former candidate Bello Babajo step down for am in September. APM chairman Bello Babajo no ready to comment. Media consultant Mukhtar decline comment.
For Gombe, PDP talk say Professor Isa Ali Pantami eligible to contest governorship ticket. State publicity secretary Abdulkadir Ahmed Dukku talk say Pantami, Khamisu Ahmed Mailantarki and Usman Aliyu Garry cleared for rescheduled primary September 29. Federal High Court Gombe nullify May 26 primary and order rerun within one month. PDP say dem receive judgment in good faith and study am.
For Ogun, concern say PDP Ogun Central senatorial candidate Senator Iyabo Obasanjo ambition fit affect. Obasanjo resign from APC May 31, 2026 after losing governorship ticket to Senator Solomon Adeola. She cite disrespect and unfair treatment. She return to PDP June 15, 2026 and receive flag June 17. Her media aide Dr Odun Agbalajobi talk say candidacy intact. PDP House of Assembly candidate for Abeokuta South Constituency II, Hon. Adeoye Adewale Adeniran accuse APC of misinformation. He talk say Supreme Court judgment no mention Obasanjo and no disqualify her. He talk say Obasanjo never cease to be PDP member.
For Yobe, PDP, ADC and APC talk say judgment no affect their candidates. A senior PDP leader talk on condition of anonymity say PDP don divide between Wike faction and Tanimu Turaki faction. He talk say INEC and court recognise Wike faction, so Turaki faction become spectators. ADC chairman Umar Kalli Alhaji talk say judgment no affect ADC candidates.
NBA Kaduna branch chairman Baba Lawal Aliyu talk say judgment reinforce INEC regulatory framework and parties must follow membership registers, congresses, primaries, nomination. ACF national publicity secretary Prof Muhammad Tukur Baba talk say decision no surprise. Islamic scholar Sheikh Abdullahi Maraya talk say judgment affirm INEC role and section 84(2). Activist Samuel Yusuf talk say effect on individual candidates depend on facts and law. NOSCEF chairman Elder Sunday Oibe talk say judiciary need self-examination over conflicting pronouncements but Supreme Court final. He call on INEC to keep distance from party internal affairs.
