The Federal High Court in Jos, Plateau State, has restrained Jonathan Akuns from presenting himself as the governorship candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) in the 2027 election.
Justice S.T. Ishaya issued the order on September 28 following an ex parte application by Alfred Dapal, who is challenging the party’s nomination process.
The suit, marked FHC/J/CS/87/2026, names Akuns, the NDC, and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as defendants.
The court barred Akuns from announcing, publishing, or otherwise holding himself out as the NDC governorship candidate pending the hearing and determination of the case.
Dapal told the court that he emerged from a September 15 NDC nomination exercise held at the party’s secretariat in Dogon Karfe, Jos North Local Government Area.
He is asking the court to stop the NDC from replacing or removing him as its candidate and to prevent the party from submitting Akuns’ name to INEC.
He also wants INEC restrained from accepting, recognizing, or publishing Akuns’ name as the party’s Plateau governorship candidate.
The dispute follows competing nomination exercises within the NDC. While the Plateau State chapter produced Dapal in a September 15 exercise, the party’s national leadership backed Akuns after a separate process.
Justice Ishaya granted the application in part and adjourned the case until October 5 for hearing.
The order is not a final ruling on the NDC’s governorship ticket. The court is yet to determine which of the competing claims arising from the party’s nomination process is valid.
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