By Kayode Lawal
November 13, 2026
The Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to restore the name of Oladipupo Adebutu as the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate for the 2027 election in Ogun State.
Delivering judgment on Friday, Justice Peter Lifu held that INEC lacked the authority to unilaterally disqualify a candidate validly nominated by a political party without obtaining an appropriate court order.
The court consequently declared the commission’s decision to exclude Adebutu from its published list of candidates unlawful and unconstitutional.
Justice Lifu also ruled that Adebutu’s right to fair hearing had been violated because he was not given an opportunity before his name was removed.
The judgment followed a suit filed by the PDP and Adebutu on October 22, challenging his exclusion from the final list of governorship candidates published by INEC on October 10.
The plaintiffs, represented by Senior Advocate of Nigeria Ahmed Raji, argued that Adebutu had participated in the party’s primary election and emerged as its duly nominated candidate.
They maintained that his name was included in the membership records submitted to INEC and that no legal challenge had invalidated his nomination.
However, INEC disputed the claim, insisting that Adebutu’s name could not be found in the PDP membership register submitted to the commission.
During the proceedings, PDP National Organising Secretary Umar Bature testified that Adebutu’s name was contained in the electronic records forwarded to INEC.
He also challenged the authenticity of the flash drive presented by the electoral commission, maintaining that it differed from the device originally submitted by the party.
INEC’s witness, Mustapha Mohammed, maintained that Adebutu’s name was absent from the records examined by the commission.
In his judgment, Justice Lifu rejected INEC’s position and held that the commission could not independently remove a candidate after a valid nomination.
The court ordered INEC to correct its published candidates’ list to reflect Adebutu’s nomination for the 2027 Ogun State governorship election.
The ruling reinforces the distinction between INEC’s responsibility to administer elections and the judicial authority to determine disputes concerning candidates’ eligibility.
The decision represents a significant development in the legal dispute over the PDP’s Ogun governorship ticket.
However, the judgment remains subject to any appeal or further orders that may be made by a higher court.
