2027: Court Orders INEC to Reinstate Adebutu as Ogun PDP Governorship Candidate

The Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to reinstate Oladipupo Ladi Adebutu as the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate for Ogun State in the 2027 general elections.

Justice Peter Lifu delivered the judgment on Friday, November 13, directing INEC to restore Adebutu’s name to the list of candidates and publish it within 24 hours.

The court held that INEC acted beyond its statutory powers by removing the name of a candidate duly nominated by a political party, stressing that the commission had no authority to independently disqualify such a candidate without a court order.

Justice Lifu maintained that the responsibility for nominating candidates rests with political parties, while INEC’s role includes receiving and publishing the names submitted by the parties.

The judge also ruled that the commission violated Adebutu’s right to fair hearing by excluding his name from the final list of candidates for the Ogun governorship election.

In addressing the dispute over the PDP membership register, the court held that evidence before it established Adebutu’s membership of the party. His name was reportedly listed against membership serial number 1536.

The judge also questioned INEC’s authority to determine the membership status of individuals within a political party, noting that such responsibility primarily belongs to the party.

The case followed INEC’s omission of Adebutu’s name from the final list of governorship candidates published on October 10, 2026.

Adebutu and the PDP subsequently approached the court on October 22, seeking an order compelling the electoral commission to recognise him as the party’s candidate.

INEC had opposed the suit, maintaining that Adebutu’s name was missing from the membership register submitted by the PDP. The commission also disputed the party’s account of the electronic records submitted during the nomination process.

However, the court dismissed INEC’s preliminary objection and granted the plaintiffs’ request for Adebutu’s reinstatement.

The ruling restores Adebutu’s position as the PDP’s recognised governorship candidate on INEC’s list, subject to the legal processes that may follow.

The Ogun governorship election is scheduled for February 6, 2027.