2027: Court sacks APC candidate, orders party to present Mandung as Jos South candidate

By Johnson Arua

A Federal High Court in Jos, Plateau State, has ordered the All Progressives Congress (APC) to present Hon. Ayuba Dalyop Mandung as its candidate for Jos South State Constituency in the 2027 general election, following a dispute over the party’s primary election.

The court, presided over by Justice Dorcas Agishi, declared Mandung the winner of the APC primary and restrained the party from recognising Mancha John Vincent as its duly nominated candidate for the constituency.

The ruling followed a suit filed by Mandung against Vincent, the APC and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) over the alleged alteration of the results of the party’s primary election conducted on May 20, 2026.

Mandung, through his counsel, Ritji Timothy Yilwatda, challenged the alleged alteration of results from Giring Ward after the votes had been counted and the outcome announced.

In its judgment, the court held that results declared at the ward level could not lawfully be altered after their announcement.

Justice Agishi also found that Mandung had not been accorded a fair hearing in the process that allegedly resulted in the alteration of the results in favour of Vincent.

The court consequently issued a perpetual injunction restraining the defendants from presenting Vincent as the APC’s nominated candidate for Jos South State Constituency in the forthcoming general election.

It further directed the defendants to comply with the provisions of the Nigerian Constitution, the Electoral Act and the APC’s guidelines on the nomination of candidates.

As part of its orders, the court issued a mandatory injunction compelling the APC to submit Mandung’s name to INEC as its duly nominated candidate for the constituency in 2027.

The court also awarded ₦500,000 in costs against each of the defendants — Vincent, the APC and INEC.

Mandung had instituted the action in suit number FHC/J/CS/43/2026, seeking a declaration that he won the party’s primary election after allegedly securing the highest number of votes announced at the ward level.

He had also sought the court’s intervention over the alleged alteration of the original results to favour Vincent.

The defendants filed preliminary objections challenging the suit, but the court dismissed the objections before ruling on the substantive issues in Mandung’s favour.