The National Vice-Chairman of the Labour Party (LP) in the South-West, Dr Arabambi Abayomi, and the Action Alliance (AA) governorship candidate in Ogun State, Prof. Awofala Awoniyi Awolola, have threatened legal action over an alleged attempt to alter the Peoples Democratic Party’s (PDP) membership register.

The two politicians made their position known at a joint press briefing in Abuja on Wednesday, calling on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to investigate the alleged move and preserve the original register submitted by the PDP.

They said they had petitioned the electoral commission following information suggesting that an affidavit had been sworn to explain the omission of the name of Oladipupo Adebutu from the party’s membership register.

The petitioners expressed concern that the alleged development could lead to Adebutu’s name being restored or announced as the PDP’s governorship candidate for the February 6, 2027 election in Ogun State.

They, however, acknowledged that they had not seen the affidavit and urged INEC to establish whether the document existed and determine its purpose.

According to the politicians, the PDP conducted its governorship primary in Abeokuta on May 24, 2026, ahead of the election.

They cited Section 77 of the Electoral Act, 2026, which regulates the submission of party membership registers and eligibility to participate in primaries, arguing that political parties must comply with the statutory requirements.

The petitioners claimed that Adebutu’s name was absent from the register submitted by the PDP and that INEC issued a certified true copy of the document on July 20, 2026.

They argued that an affidavit explaining the omission should not, by itself, provide grounds for retrospectively altering an official membership register.

The politicians also referred to a Supreme Court judgment delivered on September 24, 2026, in INEC v. Zenith Labour Party, Appeal No. SC/CV/495/2026, which they said was relevant to the statutory requirements governing party membership registers and nominations.

The petitioners urged INEC to establish whether the alleged affidavit had been submitted, when it was received, which official handled it and the purpose for which it was presented.

They also called for an investigation into any credible evidence of improper interference with the commission’s records and requested that the original register be preserved pending the outcome.

The politicians said they had asked INEC to respond within 24 hours of receiving their petition, detailing the steps taken to secure the register and investigate the allegations.

They warned that they would consider approaching a competent court if evidence established that the register had been unlawfully altered or handled contrary to the applicable law.

The dispute follows INEC’s publication of the final list of governorship candidates on October 10, which omitted the PDP’s candidate in Ogun State. The commission has previously explained that the omissions affecting some parties followed the Supreme Court’s interpretation of provisions of the Electoral Act governing membership registers and candidate nominations.

The allegations remain subject to investigation, and the petitioners have called on INEC to clarify the status of the register and any documents submitted in connection with the matter.