The Peoples Redemption Party (PRP) and its Rivers State governorship candidate, Kieghe Nature Dumale, have approached the Federal High Court in Port Harcourt, seeking to stop the All Progressives Congress (APC) from participating in the February 6, 2027 governorship election.
The suit centres on allegations that the APC failed to comply with statutory requirements for submitting its membership register before conducting its governorship primary.
In an 18-paragraph affidavit filed in support of the case, Dumale alleged that the party’s nomination process violated Section 77(5) to (7) of the Electoral Act, 2026.
He argued that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) ought to have examined the APC’s records and enforced the relevant provisions before publishing the final list of candidates for the election.
The plaintiffs cited a September 24, 2026 Supreme Court judgment in Appeal No. SC/CV/495/2026, involving INEC and the Zenith Labour Party, which they said affirmed the validity of the disputed provisions and reinforced the commission’s responsibility to ensure compliance.
They also stated that INEC Chairman, Professor Joash Amupitan, SAN, had announced that the commission would study the judgment and take steps to implement its implications.
However, the plaintiffs accused INEC of failing to apply the same legal standards to the APC’s Rivers governorship nomination before releasing the final candidates’ list.
The court is being asked to determine whether the APC complied with the relevant provisions of the Electoral Act in its nomination process.
