A Kano-based Islamic cleric, Sheikh Ibrahim Khalil, has initiated legal action at the Federal High Court to be substituted as the African Democratic Congress (ADC) governorship candidate for Kano State in the 2027 general elections, replacing Ibrahim Ali Little, a close associate of Atiku Abubakar.
Background to the Legal Dispute
Sheikh Ibrahim Khalil, who serves as the chairman of the Kano State Council of Ulama, contested the ADC governorship primary in Kano State under the leadership of the party's former chairman, Musa Ungogo. According to court documents, Khalil was declared the winner of that primary election.
However, following the dissolution of the party's state executive, the ADC submitted the name of Ibrahim Ali Amin, popularly known as Little, to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as its Kano State governorship flag bearer. Little is described as a close political associate of Atiku Abubakar, who is the ADC presidential candidate for the 2027 elections.
Court Proceedings and Service of Processes
When the matter came up for hearing, Khalil's counsel, AA Abubakar, informed the presiding judge that all defendants in the suit had been properly served with the relevant court processes. Counsel representing Ibrahim Ali Little, listed as the second defendant, confirmed to the court that his client had equally been served as claimed.
Khalil is seeking an order from the court to compel the ADC to withdraw Little's name from the INEC records and substitute it with his own, arguing that he was the rightful winner of the party's primary election in Kano State.
Related Nasarawa State ADC Primary Dispute
In a separate but related development, the Federal High Court in Abuja scheduled a hearing for September 29 in a suit challenging the ADC governorship primary result in Nasarawa State. Former Minister Mohammed Hassan Abdullahi's campaign organisation rejected the declaration of Major General Nuhu Angbazo as winner of that primary.
The campaign's Director General alleged that a local government result where Abdullahi led by over 10,000 votes was cancelled despite an INEC report confirming peaceful elections. These legal challenges highlight ongoing internal disputes within the ADC as the party prepares for the 2027 general elections.
