Badawaire Takes APC Taraba North Senate Ticket Dispute to Court

Badawaire Takes APC Taraba North Senate Ticket Dispute to Court

The battle over the All Progressives Congress (APC) senatorial ticket for Taraba North has taken a fresh legal turn, as Hon. Kabiru Bello Badawaire has approached the Federal High Court in Abuja over the 2027 Senate nomination.

Badawaire is reportedly seeking judicial intervention against Senator Shuaibu Isa Lau, the APC and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), asking the court to direct the electoral body to recognise him as the party’s candidate for the Taraba North Senatorial District.

The development has further deepened the controversy surrounding the APC ticket, following competing claims over who should represent the party in the 2027 election.

Badawaire was declared winner of the APC senatorial primary conducted on May 19, 2026, from the six local government areas of Taraba North but report indicated that he was replaced with Senator Lau.

However, Badawaire has continued to reject claims that he has been replaced or withdrawn as the APC candidate. In July, he publicly maintained that he remained the party’s candidate and insisted that he had not voluntarily withdrawn from the race.

The latest suit now places the disputed nomination before the judiciary, potentially making the Federal High Court the next battleground in the contest between the two politicians.

The legal action is expected to focus attention on the circumstances surrounding the party’s nomination process, the validity of the primary election and subsequent actions concerning the candidate submitted to INEC.

Lau had earlier dismissed reports that he personally dragged Badawaire, the APC and INEC to court, describing such reports as inaccurate.

The controversy has generated considerable political interest across Taraba North, which comprises Jalingo, Lau, Ardo-Kola, Karim Lamido, Yorro and Zing Local Government Areas.

With the 2027 general election approaching, the outcome of the legal battle could determine who ultimately flies the APC flag for the senatorial district.

For now, the Taraba North Senate race within the APC remains unsettled, with Badawaire insisting on his claim to the ticket and Lau maintaining his position following the party’s primary election.

The case is expected to provide another major test of the APC’s internal nomination process as the party prepares for the 2027 general elections.