Court order backs INEC over Kano NDC candidate’s omission

Certified true copies of court documents from the Federal High Court in Kano have confirmed that the Independent National Electoral Commission acted in compliance with a court order by withholding the name of the Nigeria Democratic Congress governorship candidate, Aminu Gwarzo, from its updated lists.

The lawsuit, instituted by aggrieved NDC members, Garba Umar Isa, Yau Nasiru, and Atiku Jamilu Abubakar, against INEC (1st Defendant) and the NDC (2nd Defendant), was brought before the court via a motion ex parte filed on October 17, 2026.

The aggrieved NDC members were not satisfied with how the leader of the Kwankwasiyya Movement and vice-presidential candidate of the NDC, Rabiu Kwankwaso, unilaterally anointed the governorship candidate, Gwarzo and his son, Mustapha Kwankwaso, as running mate.

The documents, Suit No: FHC/KN/CS/440/2026, at Federal High Court No.3, validated the electoral commission’s position that its handling of the candidate list was bound by judicial directives.

During the proceedings, counsel for the applicant, S.A. Abdullahi, moved the court to grant interim protective reliefs.

Delivering his ruling on October 27, 2026, Justice Amobeda ordered explicitly that 1st Defendant/Respondent, its agents, privies, assigns, officers or any person or group of persons deriving authority from it are restrained from publishing the name of any candidate in the governorship list of candidates as it relates to the 2nd Defendant/Respondent in the Kano governorship election for 2027, pending the hearing of the motion on notice.

“That 1st Defendant/Respondent, their agents, privies, assigns, officers or any person or group of persons deriving authority from them are restrained in the interim from tampering, altering, adding to or subtracting from the final governorship list of the 1st Defendant/Respondent published on or about the 10th day of October 2026, pending the Hearing of the motion on notice.

That the Order and the Processes shall be served on the Defendants before the next Adjourned date.

That accelerated hearing is ordered and that this matter is adjourned to the 2nd day of November, 2026 for hearing,” the CTC read.

While earlier political debates and party criticisms raised questions regarding the timeline of candidate omissions, the verified court order provided tangible proof that INEC was legally constrained from publishing or altering the NDC’s governorship list pending the outcome of the substantive suit.

With the court mandating an accelerated hearing for November 2, 2026, all parties were expected to address the substantive legal issues before the bench.

However, the matter could not proceed in court on Monday, as counsel for Gwarzo approached the court with an application for joinder in the case.

The case was adjourned to Monday, November 16, 2026.