Bitkon Dreams

**Outcome Two — Weakening of the opposition ahead of 2027** Several of Nigeria's most prominent opposition candidates — particularly those who defected from the APC to the PDP, PRP, SDP and other parties after losing APC primaries — are precisely the individuals most exposed to enforcement of the restored provisions. The practical political effect of strict enforcement would be to clear the field of the most competitive opposition candidates in several states, including Bauchi. **Outcome Three — Consolidation of APC's electoral dominance** Critics have raised the concern that strict enforcement risks turning the 2027 elections into a coronation rather than a contest, with questions about whether INEC's vigorous pursuit of the Supreme Court judgment serves electoral integrity or political interests. This is a legitimate tension that Nigerians must reckon with. The law is clear — but the political beneficiary of its enforcement is equally clear. [businessday](businessday.ng/?p=1193349) **Outcome Four — Establishing the supremacy of party registers** The Supreme Court's ruling strengthens the principle that political parties must maintain credible, verifiable membership registers and that the nomination process cannot be left to the whims and caprices of party officials. This is a genuine democratic gain — it forces parties to maintain honest records and prevents last-minute manipulation of membership lists to accommodate powerful defectors. [arise](arise.tv/samson-itodo-suprem…) **Outcome Five — Setting a binding precedent for future elections** The Supreme Court has now spoken at the apex level. No Court of Appeal, Federal High Court or electoral tribunal can revisit this question. The 2027 elections and all subsequent elections will be governed by these provisions as constitutionally confirmed. The era of treating party membership and primaries as formalities to be bypassed for powerful or wealthy candidates should, in principle, now be over. --- **CLOSING OBSERVATION: THE LAW IS CLEAR — ITS APPLICATION MUST BE EVEN-HANDED** The law in this case is sound. The Supreme Court judgment is correct. The provisions of Section 77 serve genuine democratic purposes — ensuring that party primaries are conducted on the basis of actual, verified membership, and that candidates cannot treat political parties as interchangeable platforms to be picked up and discarded based on primary outcomes. However, the credibility of this enforcement will depend on one thing above all others: whether INEC applies it **uniformly and without selectivity.** If the judgment is used to remove opposition candidates while APC candidates who may have their own register compliance questions are left untouched, the exercise will rightly be condemned as a political weapon dressed in legal clothing. The people of Bauchi State, and Nigerians broadly, deserve elections in which every candidate on the ballot earned their place through a process that the law recognises. Senator Shehu Buba Umar is entitled to contest — but through a process that complies with the law. The dates do not lie. The register tells the story. And the Supreme Court has now confirmed what that story means. --- *Bitkon Vrimda Adamu Tubi writes from Bauchi, Nigeria.* *Political analyst and commentator on Nigerian electoral law and governance.* *#NigeriaElections2027 #SupremeCourt #ElectoralAct2026 #INEC #BauchiPolitics #ShehiBuba #RuleOfLaw #APC #PRP #Section77*

constitutionally bound by the judgment — it cannot claim distance from a ruling it fought to obtain. --- **PART THREE: THE BAUCHI CASE — A FORENSIC TIMELINE** Now to the heart of the matter. Here is the verified, documented sequence of dates in Senator Shehu Buba Umar's case: 🗓️ **By 8 May 2026** — All 22 registered political parties, including the PRP, submitted their membership registers to INEC — two days before the extended deadline of 10 May 2026. The PRP's register was therefore sealed, submitted and in INEC's custody by this date. Senator Shehu Buba Umar's name was not in it — because on this date he was still a fully registered member of the APC. [arise](arise.tv/inec-confirms-all-p…) 🗓️ **10 May 2026** — Senator Shehu Buba's withdrawal notice from the APC governorship primary was dated 10 May 2026, addressed to the APC Ward Chairman of Jama'a/Zaranda Ward in Toro Local Government Area. He was still, legally, an APC member on this date. This is the same day the INEC register submission deadline closed. [premiumtimesng](premiumtimesng.com/regional/…) 🗓️ **21 May 2026** — The APC governorship primary was held in Bauchi. Senator Shehu Buba did not participate, having already withdrawn. 🗓️ **25 May 2026** — Senator Shehu Buba Umar officially resigned from the APC and joined the PRP on this date. [nigerianeye](nigerianeye.com/2026/05/bauc…) 🗓️ **25 May 2026** — The PRP governorship primary was conducted in Bauchi on the same date, with Senator Shehu Buba Umar emerging as the PRP governorship candidate. A portion of the PRP itself complained about the violation of due process, alleging that Buba left the APC, joined PRP and became the preferred candidate within hours. [guardian](guardian.ng/?p=2848970) --- **PART FOUR: THE MATHEMATICAL IMPOSSIBILITY** The numbers tell a story that no lawyer can argue away: The PRP submitted its register to INEC on or before **8 May 2026.** Senator Shehu Buba wrote his APC resignation letter on **10 May 2026.** He formally joined the PRP on **25 May 2026.** There is a gap of at minimum **17 days** between when the PRP submitted its register to INEC and when Senator Shehu Buba became a PRP member. There is a gap of **2 days** between PRP submitting its register and Shehu Buba even writing his APC withdrawal letter. It is not merely unlikely that his name appeared in the PRP register submitted to INEC. It is a **chronological and factual impossibility.** He was an APC member when that register was compiled and submitted. His name could only have been in the APC register — the register of the party he was trying to escape from. Under Section 77(5), which the Supreme Court has now firmly restored, only members whose names appear in the register submitted to INEC are eligible to vote and be voted for. Senator Shehu Buba's name is not in the PRP register submitted to INEC. By the express and restored provisions of the Electoral Act 2026, he was therefore **not eligible to be voted for** in the PRP primary that produced him. The primary itself was conducted on a foundation that the law does not recognise. --- **PART FIVE: WHAT APC AND INEC WILL ACHIEVE WITH THIS JUDGMENT** Beyond the individual case of Senator Shehu Buba, it is important to analyse what the combined effect of the Supreme Court judgment, the APC enforcement letter, and INEC's forthcoming action will achieve nationally. There are five major outcomes: **Outcome One — Removal of post-primary defectors from the ballot** Every candidate who lost a primary in one party and defected to contest under another party faces potential disqualification. The list nationally includes Senator Saliu Mustapha in Kwara, former Minister Isa Pantami in Gombe, former IGP Mohammed Adamu in Nasarawa, and Senator Shehu Buba in Bauchi, among many others. Their candidacies all rest on primaries conducted from registers that could not legally have included their names.

🏛️ THE LAW, THE DATES, AND THE CONSEQUENCES: WHAT THE SUPREME COURT JUDGMENT MEANS FOR SENATOR SHEHU BUBA — AND FOR NIGERIA'S 2027 ELECTIONS *A Legal and Electoral Analysis* *By Bitkon Vrimda Adamu Tubi* INTRODUCTION: WHY THIS JUDGMENT MATTERS BEYOND ABUJA On 24 September 2026, the Supreme Court of Nigeria delivered its judgment in **SC/CV/495/2026 — INEC v. Zenith Labour Party**, restoring Sections 77(5), 77(6), 77(7) and 84(2) of the Electoral Act 2026. Much of the national commentary has focused on the big names — Isa Pantami in Gombe, Senator Saliu Mustapha in Kwara, former IGP Mohammed Adamu in Nasarawa. But here in Bauchi State, the most forensically precise and legally consequential application of this judgment involves a man who is currently the PRP governorship candidate for the 2027 election — **Senator Shehu Buba Umar of Bauchi South.** The facts in his case do not require legal interpretation. They require nothing more than reading a calendar. --- **PART ONE: WHAT THE SUPREME COURT RESTORED AND WHY** The Supreme Court, sitting before a seven-member panel led by Justice Adamu Jauro, restored four provisions of the Electoral Act 2026 that the Court of Appeal had struck down as unconstitutional on 16 July 2026. These provisions are: 📌 **Section 77(4)** — Every political party must submit its digital membership register to INEC not later than 21 days before the date of its primary election. 📌 **Section 77(5)** — Only members whose names appear in the register submitted to INEC are eligible to vote and be voted for in party primaries, congresses and conventions. 📌 **Section 77(6)** — A political party shall not use any register other than the one submitted to INEC for the purpose of conducting its primaries. 📌 **Section 77(7)** — A party that fails to submit its digital membership register within the stipulated period may be precluded from fielding candidates in the general election. 📌 **Section 84(2)** — Any public office holder wishing to contest a party primary must first resign from that office before participating. The Executive Director of YIAGA Africa, Samson Itodo, hailed the ruling, stating that the Supreme Court had upheld and protected the public interest, and that the National Assembly's effort was to sanitise the electoral process — a goal the Supreme Court affirmed. [arise](arise.tv/samson-itodo-suprem…) INEC's National Commissioner Mohammed Haruna confirmed that the Commission would hold an internal meeting to review the September 24 Supreme Court judgment, warning that, depending on the commission's review, some parties could be left without governorship candidates entirely over membership register violations. [legit](legit.ng/politics/1735112-in…) --- **PART TWO: APC'S FORMAL LETTER TO INEC — THE ENFORCEMENT MECHANISM** On **9 October 2026** — just 15 days after the Supreme Court judgment — the All Progressives Congress, signed by National Chairman **Prof. Nentawe Goshwe Yilwatda** and National Secretary **Sen. Surajudeen Ajibola Basiru Ph.D, B.L**, delivered a formal letter to the INEC Chairman, received and stamped by INEC on the same date. The letter makes four specific demands of INEC: **(i)** Immediately enforce the Supreme Court judgment in full. **(ii)** Verify compliance with Section 77(4) by determining whether each party submitted its digital membership register within 21 days of its primary. **(iii)** Apply the consequences of non-compliance under Section 77(7), including barring any non-compliant party from fielding candidates. **(iv)** Enforce Sections 77(5) and 77(6) strictly — recognising only candidates whose names appear in the register submitted to INEC. The APC anchors INEC's legal obligation to act on **Section 287(1) of the 1999 Constitution**, which states that decisions of the Supreme Court shall be enforced in any part of the Federation by all authorities and persons. Since INEC was itself the Appellant in the Supreme Court case, it is directly and

🏛️ SUPREME COURT SETTLES IT: THE ERA OF PRIMARY-SHOPPING IS OVER** *A Legal Commentary on SC/CV/495/2026 — INEC v. Zenith Labour Party* *By Bitkon Vrimda Adamu Tubi* On Thursday, 24 September 2026, the Supreme Court of Nigeria, sitting before seven Justices — Hon. Justice Adamu Jauro, Hon. Justice Emmanuel Akomaye Agim, Hon. Justice Haruna Simon Tsammani, Hon. Justice Moore Aseimo Abraham Adumein, Hon. Justice Stephen Jonah Adah, Hon. Justice Abubakar Sadiq Umar, and Hon. Justice Joseph Olubunmi Kayode Oyewole — delivered a landmark order in Appeal No. SC/CV/495/2026, arising from CA/ABJ/CV/750/2026 (INEC v. Zenith Labour Party). **THE JOURNEY TO THE APEX COURT** The Federal High Court had in May 2026 (Suit No. FHC/ABJ/CS/509/2026) dismissed a suit seeking to invalidate key provisions of the Electoral Act 2026. The Court of Appeal reversed that on 16 July 2026, striking down Sections 77(5)–(7) and Section 84(2) of the Electoral Act 2026, as well as Activity Serial Number Two of INEC's Revised Timetable for the 2027 General Elections, declaring them unconstitutional and void. INEC appealed. The Supreme Court has now spoken — and it has spoken clearly. **THE SUPREME COURT'S FIVE ORDERS** ✅ Order 1 — The appeal succeeds on issues 2, 3, 4 and 5. ✅ Order 2 — The Court of Appeal judgment declaring Sections 77(5)–(7) and Section 84(2) of the Electoral Act 2026 unconstitutional is set aside. Those provisions are restored as valid law. ✅ Order 3 — The Court of Appeal's nullification of Activity Serial Number Two of INEC's 2027 Timetable is set aside. ✅ Order 4 — The Federal High Court judgment of 5 May 2026 dismissing the original suit is restored. ✅ Order 5 — Zenith Labour Party shall pay costs of ₦2,000,000 to INEC. **WHAT THE RESTORED PROVISIONS SAY** 📌 Section 84(2) — Any public office holder wishing to contest a party primary must first resign from office before participating. A provision contested since its appearance in the Electoral Act 2022 is now constitutionally confirmed at the apex level. 📌 Sections 77(5), (6) and (7) — A candidate who contests a primary election in one party and loses cannot defect to another party to contest the same election. The "primary-shopping" practice — where politicians treat parties as fallback vehicles after losing their preferred party's primary — is now unambiguously prohibited by law confirmed constitutional by the Supreme Court. **WHAT THIS MEANS FOR 2027** Three consequences are immediate and practical: One — INEC now has Supreme Court-backed authority to disqualify any candidate who lost a primary and defected to another party to contest the same election. The legal cover that allowed this practice to persist through litigation is gone. Two — INEC's 2027 electoral timetable is restored and legally protected. Parties and candidates must align with it. Three — Any candidate who acted in reliance on the Court of Appeal's now-overturned judgment — by defecting after a lost primary between July and September 2026 — faces serious legal exposure going into 2027. **CLOSING OBSERVATION** The 2023 election cycle was significantly disrupted by conflicting court interpretations of similar provisions. This ruling ends that uncertainty at the highest judicial level in Nigeria. The Supreme Court has affirmed that the legislature's intent to discipline the primary process and bind candidates to their party choices is constitutionally sound. The legal foundation for a cleaner 2027 electoral process is now firmly in place. Whether political actors will respect it is a separate conversation — but they will no longer be able to hide behind judicial ambiguity. — *Bitkon Vrimda Adamu Tubi writes from Bauchi, Nigeria.* *#NigeriaElections2027 #SupremeCourt #ElectoralAct2026 #INEC #RuleOfLaw

I have been trying to rap my head about the horrific events in the nscdc cell in Minna. You are in a cell and people are dying one after the other, those alive hitting the doors. It's like Angel of death picking your friends in a closed space. Can you imagine the panic, the fear, it will be palpable. Those that survived need some psychological therapy, this is the worse and terrible situation for any person to find yourself. Seeing your friends and relatives dying from the first to the last one before the door was open at last. Staying in a room where death bodies liters the place and you have no option than to wait for yours. I can't think of a satisfying punishment for those involved as no punishment in law comes close to the ordeal of the death or the trauma of the survivors. Let's make a deligent example for future occurrences because this is not an isolated incidence, it is more of one that went terribly bad @officialABAT @aonanuga1956 @AkpabioSen @nassnigeria

Why are Nigerians not used the word alleged, allegedly, presumed innocent. How can you say 37 illegal miners died?

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Since Nigeria did not make it to the world cup but we have items in the budget for world cup. They should give @davido and @burnaboy who represented Nigeria at the world cup quite well

This year's world cup will the one of the worse ever done. Referees, Technical staffs, supporters clubs and players are finding it difficult and in some cases impossible to get VISAs to reach US. The ticketing scandals and all this is even before the kickoff?

Wow, Nigeria my country. Our problem is not lack of Laws but implementation and application is at the discretion of people. You do anyhow you can see anyhow, simple and easy. Can't believe El Rufai did fasting and Sallah behind bars. We are about to start primaries in Nigeria!

Epstein had a Pandora's box of Rich and Mighty men. It was ludicrous that he was sent to prison, a very big Mistake. He was a prime candidate for WITNESS PROTECTION. He was given the Petr Baelish-a bolt buys a Tongue forever than a coin. Without Epstein all will fail @elonmusk

As a star shines tonight,remember we celebrate the birth of hope and love. Wishing you a blessed and beautiful Christmas! 🌟🎄 Jesus is the reason for the season.

That is good news