By George Ozalla
Fresh legal controversy has trailed the political trajectory of Senator Ahmed Aliyu Wadada as a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja is being asked to disqualify him from the governorship process of the All Progressives Congress (APC) over allegations bordering on dual party affiliation.
The suit, filed by Abuja-based legal practitioner Barrister Tari Trochon, is challenging the senator’s eligibility on the claim that he maintained political ties with both the Social Democratic Party (SDP) and the APC within the same period.
Court filings dated May 8, 2026 are seeking a declaration that Senator Wadada is not entitled to enjoy the rights and privileges of more than one political party at the same time. The plaintiff is also urging the court to stop the APC from screening or recognising him as a governorship aspirant until the matter is determined.
Central to the dispute is the timeline of the senator’s movement between the SDP and the APC. It is argued that although he publicly announced his resignation from the SDP on August 20, 2025, his formal notice of defection was only read on the floor of the Senate on April 22, 2026, when Senate President Godswill Akpabio announced it during plenary.
That interval has now formed the basis of questions around compliance with constitutional provisions governing party membership and political allegiance.
The filing further questions Senator Wadada’s continued position as Chairman of the Senate Public Accounts Committee, a role traditionally associated with opposition ranking, despite his alignment with the APC.
In Nasarawa State, the development has already intensified political discussions around the 2027 governorship contest, where Senator Wadada remains a central figure in the unfolding race.
The legal challenge has also reignited wider debate on defections and internal party regulations as political alignments continue to shift ahead of the next general election cycle.
Supporters of the senator insist his exit from the SDP was properly executed and that he complied with all required procedures before joining the APC.
While the case remains before the court, Senator Wadada is reported to have proceeded with the APC governorship screening exercise in Abuja over the weekend.
Political stakeholders within the APC in Nasarawa State are also pointing to internal power realignments, alleging that the incumbent governor is backing Senator Wadada’s emergence as part of a succession calculation driven by personal ambition, a situation they claim is deepening cracks within the party and steadily widening internal divisions against the wishes of a section of the grassroots base.
