The Federal High Court in Abuja has scheduled July 6, 2026, for the definite hearing of a high-stakes legal battle over the authentic winner of the All Progressives Congress (APC) primary election for the Delta South Senatorial District.
The suit pits Prince Michael Diden, former Chairman of the Delta State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission (DESOPADEC), against Senator Joel Onowakpo, the current Senator representing Delta South.
At Wednesday’s proceedings, counsel to Prince Diden, Bankole Joel Akomolafe, SAN, informed the court of his readiness to proceed with the hearing.
He, however, raised concerns that the statement of defence filed by Senator Onowakpo’s counsel, Barrister Habeed Lawal, was only recently served on him, despite being filed on June 24. He requested a short adjournment to file his reply.
Presiding Judge, Justice Mohammed Garba Umar, intervened and, with the consensus of all parties, adjourned the matter to July 6 for definite hearing.
The judge directed that all necessary processes be filed and exchanged before the adjourned date, and that fresh hearing notices be properly served on all parties to avoid any delays.
Prince Michael Diden, who filed the suit on May 30, 2026 (suit number FHC/ABJ/CS/1094/2026), is seeking a court declaration that he is the rightful winner of the May 18, 2026 direct primary for the 2027 senatorial election. He claims he scored the highest number of valid votes.
Diden alleges that Senator Onowakpo manipulated the process by announcing forged results and prematurely declaring himself the winner through the media and a viral video, contrary to the official collation and announcement procedures set by the APC National Working Committee, which were to be conducted in Abuja.
According to court papers, Diden claims he defeated Onowakpo with a wide margin, polling 96,893 votes against Onowakpo’s 31,918 votes, based on authentic ward results from the eight local government areas in the district.
He is praying the court to declare him the APC candidate for the 2027 general election, direct the APC to forward his name to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), and compel INEC to accept his candidature.
At the Wednesday sitting, Lukman Fagbemi, SAN, represented the APC, while INEC was not represented despite being served with hearing notices.
The outcome of this case could have significant implications for the APC’s candidate in the Delta South Senatorial District ahead of the 2027 elections.
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