An aspirant in the All Progressives Congress (APC) Plateau North Senatorial primary, Gyang Zi, has instituted a suit at the Federal High Court in Jos, challenging his disqualification from the party’s primary election.

Zi, alongside two other aspirants, was reportedly disqualified from participating in the primary a few days before the exercise was conducted.

The suit, marked FHC/J/CS/44/2026, was filed before the Jos Judicial Division of the Federal High Court.

The Incorporated Trustees of the APC and the party itself are listed as defendants.

When the matter came up on Monday, proceedings did not proceed to substantive hearing after counsel to the plaintiff, Edward Pwajok (SAN), applied for an adjournment.

Pwajok informed the court that the defendants had only recently served the plaintiff with their Joint Statement of Defence, dated July 9, 2026, and argued that his client was still within the time allowed by the court to file a reply.

He urged the court to grant additional time to enable the plaintiff respond to the issues raised in the defence before the hearing commenced.

Counsel for the defendants, N.A. Deriem, did not oppose the request, acknowledging that the plaintiff was entitled to respond under the applicable court rules.

After hearing both parties, the court granted the application and adjourned the case until September 28, 2026.

The presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) for the 2027 general election, Atiku Abubakar, has called for an independent investigation into the controversy surrounding the Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council (PFIPC), accusing the Tinubu administration of attempting to conceal the truth and shield those allegedly involved.

In a statement issued on Wednesday by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, Atiku described the arrest of the self-acclaimed Director-General of the PFIPC, Adeniyi Adeyemi, as an attempt to divert attention from the broader issues surrounding the agency.

According to the former vice president, the controversy extends beyond Adeyemi’s alleged activities, raising questions about how an organisation now described by the Presidency as non-existent allegedly operated within government circles, secured diplomatic recognition, recruited hundreds of personnel, obtained office accommodation and reportedly received budgetary allocations.

Atiku argued that such operations could not have been carried out without the knowledge or involvement of government officials or, at the very least, a serious failure of institutional oversight.

He maintained that the scandal should not be reduced to allegations against one individual but should focus on those who allegedly enabled the organisation to function under the guise of official legitimacy.

The ADC presidential candidate also questioned the inclusion of ₦6.44 billion in the 2026 Appropriation Act for a “Special Presidential Support Group for the 2026 World Cup Qualifiers,” despite Nigeria’s elimination from the qualifying series before the budget was presented.

He described the allocation as evidence of irregularities in the budgeting process and called for a thorough investigation into how such a provision found its way into the national budget.

Adeyemi is currently facing allegations of forgery, impersonation and obtaining money by false pretences.

He has also alleged that he paid about ₦400 million in bribes to secure the position and mentioned several senior government officials, including the President’s Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila.

Atiku insisted that the allegations deserve an independent, transparent and impartial investigation, arguing that the probe ordered by President Bola Tinubu and assigned to the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) cannot inspire public confidence because officials within the administration have been named in the controversy.

He further urged the National Assembly to constitute an independent bipartisan panel to investigate every aspect of the PFIPC saga and called on the Nigerian Bar Association, civil society organisations, the diplomatic community and other stakeholders to ensure the matter is thoroughly investigated.

According to Atiku, Nigerians deserve a full account of those who authorised the PFIPC, facilitated its operations, secured its office accommodation, obtained diplomatic recognition for it and approved public funds allegedly allocated to the organisation.

He maintained that only an independent investigation would restore public confidence and uncover the truth behind the controversy.

The Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered the permanent forfeiture of 48 properties linked to former Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, to the Federal Government.

Delivering judgment on Wednesday, Justice Joyce Abdulmalik held that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) established sufficient reasonable suspicion to justify the forfeiture under the law.

The judge ruled that Malami, members of his family and companies associated with the properties failed to rebut the EFCC’s claim that the assets were acquired with proceeds of unlawful activities.

Justice Abdulmalik dismissed all applications and motions filed by the respondents challenging the forfeiture proceedings, describing them as lacking merit.

She stressed that the central issue before the court was not ownership of the assets but whether the funds used to acquire them were legitimate.

“The issue before the court is not who owns the property, but how legitimate are the funds used to acquire the property,” the judge held, adding that the respondents failed to dispel the reasonable suspicion surrounding the assets.
Relying on Section 17 of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act, the court granted the EFCC’s application for final forfeiture of the 48 properties.

However, it discharged the interim forfeiture order on some of the remaining assets.

The anti-graft agency had in January sought the permanent forfeiture of 57 properties valued at about ₦212.8 billion, alleging they were proceeds of unlawful activities linked to the former justice minister.

The assets, located across Abuja, Kano, Kebbi and Kaduna states, were initially placed under an interim forfeiture order by Justice Emeka Nwite, who also directed the EFCC to publish the order to allow interested parties to contest the action.

Malami, his wife Nana Hadiza Malami, his son Abdulaziz Abubakar Malami and several companies subsequently challenged the order, insisting the properties were lawfully acquired and arguing that the EFCC failed to establish any link between the assets and any criminal activity.

The respondents also contended that the commission relied on speculation rather than credible evidence and did not identify any specific offence from which the assets were allegedly derived.

Following the court’s annual vacation, the matter was reassigned to Justice Abdulmalik, who heard arguments from both parties before reserving judgment in May.

Although the judgment was initially scheduled for July 6, it was twice postponed before Wednesday’s final ruling.