Court Sets July 1 Hearing for Delta South APC Senatorial Primary Dispute

A Federal High Court in Abuja has fixed July 1, 2026, for the substantive hearing of a lawsuit challenging the outcome of the All Progressives Congress (APC) senatorial primary election for Delta South Senatorial District ahead of the 2027 general elections.

The case was brought by Prince Michael Diden, who is contesting the emergence of incumbent Senator Joel-Onowakpo Thomas as the APC candidate for the district. Justice Mohammed Garba Umar adjourned the matter after it was mentioned before the court, setting July 1 as the date for hearing the substantive issues raised by the parties.

In the suit, Diden alleges that the results announced in favour of Senator Thomas did not reflect the actual outcome of the party’s May 18 direct primary election. He claims that authentic ward-by-ward results showed he secured a significantly higher number of votes than those credited to him in the final declaration.

The plaintiff further argues that the results announced by the senator were irregular and did not follow the collation procedures approved by the APC’s National Working Committee. According to court documents, Diden is seeking a declaration that he was the rightful winner of the primary election.

He is also asking the court to direct the APC to submit his name to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as the party’s valid candidate for the Delta South senatorial seat and to compel INEC to accept the nomination.

The dispute follows the APC primary election in which Senator Thomas was officially declared winner after polling the highest number of votes across the district’s local government areas. The outcome has since generated controversy among party stakeholders, with some members calling for a review of the process.

The July 1 hearing is expected to determine whether the court will uphold the party’s declared result or grant the reliefs sought by the plaintiff, a decision that could significantly impact the APC’s preparations for the 2027 elections in Delta South.