A presidential aspirant and chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Alhaji Bayero Lawal, has sued the ruling party over its alleged refusal to sell him expression of interest and nomination forms ahead of its recently concluded presidential primary.
Lawal, a founding member of the APC, joined the party’s Presidential Screening Committee and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as defendants in the suit filed before the Federal High Court in Abuja.
The case, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1020/2026, challenges Lawal’s alleged exclusion from the primary that produced President Bola Tinubu as the party’s candidate for the 2027 presidential election.
The APC had in May waived the screening requirement for Tinubu and declared him duly cleared to participate in the primary.
The party’s National Publicity Secretary, Felix Morka, said the decision was taken by the National Working Committee at its 188th meeting held at the APC National Secretariat in Abuja on May 6, 2026.
According to the party, Tinubu’s clearance was conducted in accordance with its constitution and internal procedures.
Lawal, through his lawyer, Basil Kpenkpen, approached the Federal High Court on May 21, alleging that the APC refused to allow him to purchase the documents required to challenge Tinubu at the primary.
He argued that the decision violated democratic principles and denied him the opportunity to exercise his rights as a registered party member.
According to the originating summons, Lawal maintained that he was financially up to date with the party and therefore qualified to contest for its presidential ticket.
He said the APC constitution guaranteed him the right to contest and be voted for in elections conducted by the party, including for the office of President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
The plaintiff is also challenging the ₦100 million reportedly demanded by the APC for its presidential expression of interest and nomination forms.
Among the seven reliefs sought, Lawal asked the court to declare the mandatory payment illegal on the grounds that it was not provided for in the party’s constitution.
He is seeking a determination that the APC acted unlawfully by allegedly preventing him from obtaining the forms and participating in the presidential primary.
The court had yet to fix a date for the hearing of the suit as of the time of filing this report.
