Supreme Court Confirms APC Candidate For Bwari

Supreme Court Confirms APC Candidate For Bwari

The Supreme Court of Nigeria has confirmed Joshua Ishaku as the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate for the 2026 Bwari Area Council chairmanship election, ending a protracted intra-party dispute.

In a 4–1 ruling on Monday, the apex court overturned the majority decision of the Court of Appeal that had recognised Haruna Audi as the party’s candidate.

The court held that Ishaku had been denied a fair hearing and that party protections cannot shield violations of internal guidelines and constitutional rights.

The justices affirmed that only a losing candidate must exhaust internal party mechanisms before seeking judicial intervention, and that issues affecting statutory and party guidelines fall within court jurisdiction.

Electoral authorities have been ordered to publish Ishaku’s name as the official APC candidate ahead of next Saturday’s election.

The decision adopts the dissenting opinion of Justice Okon Abang, which had criticised lower courts for ignoring key evidence and creating a “legal fiction” to dismiss Ishaku’s claims, ensuring the case is now resolved in his favour.