Dual Membership Scandal: APC National Secretariat Petitioned to Disqualify Senator Wadada from Gubernatorial Primaries

Timescope News 

A legal practitioner in Nasarawa State and member of the APC, Barr. Tari Trochon, has submitted a formal petition to the National Secretariat of the party demanding a proper investigation into the alleged dual membership of Senator Aliyu Ahmed Wadada.

Senator Wadada, who won his election to the Senate in 2023 on the platform of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), suddenly emerged as the preferred choice of Governor Abdullahi Sule for the APC governorship primaries scheduled for May 21, 2026.

According to the petition signed by Barr. Trochon from Nakere Ward, Wamba LGA, "We demand an immediate investigation into Wadada's membership and compel him to produce verifiable evidence of resignation from the SDP, which should be confirmed by the national leadership of the SDP—not through forged documents.

"His disqualification from participation in the primaries is required if he fails to establish lawful and exclusive membership of the APC, among other legal violations of constitutional provisions, by holding dual membership of the SDP and APC simultaneously."

The legal practitioner warned that allowing Wadada to participate in the forthcoming gubernatorial primaries would amount to an institutional endorsement of illegality, planting seeds for pre-election legal challenges that could lead to disqualification. The enormous credibility issues—bothering on his failure to inform the Senate of his alleged defection nine months ago—provide fertile ground for litigations that may prove costly to the APC in Nasarawa State if he is not stopped.

"We are aware that the SDP is set to take Senator Wadada to court over his defection to the APC while still maintaining his membership with the SDP," he said.

The petitioner added that, given the paucity of time, he would be left with no other option than to proceed to court in order to save the APC in Nasarawa State from imminent problems that could lead to electoral misfortunes.

In his words: "There is a prima facie infraction of Section 222 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended), Section 77 of the Electoral Act 2026, the Conventions of the Senate, and clear expressions of lack of credibility and character which must be looked into. He shouldn't go into our direct primaries, and we will ensure the courts stop him from further participation."

The petition has since been submitted to the APC National Secretariat, signed, received, and acknowledged. A copy has been made available to our correspondent.