Oyo SDP Governorship Aspirant Sues Party, INEC Over Alleged Electoral Act Violation

Chief Saheed Oladele, a governorship aspirant of the Social Democratic Party in Oyo State, has sued the party and the Independent National Electoral Commission over the nomination of Michael Okunlade as the party’s candidate for the 2027 governorship election.

Oladele filed the suit through his lawyer, Akinlolu Oyebamiji, at the Federal High Court in Ibadan, challenging the decision of the SDP leadership to submit Okunlade’s name to INEC as its consensus candidate.

In the originating summons, Oladele alleged that the nomination and substitution process violated provisions of the Electoral Act 2026 and the party’s own nomination procedures.

The plaintiff claimed that he was the only SDP governorship aspirant who obtained the party’s expression of interest and nomination forms before the deadline set by INEC.

He further alleged that Okunlade, who is the current chairman of the SDP in Oyo State, did not obtain the required expression of interest and nomination forms before the expiration of the commission’s deadline.

Oladele’s legal team argued that the party could not replace or substitute him without following the statutory requirements governing candidate nomination.

The lawyer also maintained that Oladele did not execute any withdrawal or consent document authorising the party to submit another person’s name as its governorship candidate.

The plaintiff is therefore asking the court to declare the nomination of Okunlade as the SDP consensus candidate null and void.

He is also seeking an order restraining Okunlade from presenting or parading himself as the party’s governorship candidate for the 2027 election.

Another relief sought is an order preventing INEC and the national leadership of the SDP from recognising Okunlade as the validly nominated candidate of the party.

Oladele is further asking the court to direct the SDP and INEC to recognise him as the party’s governorship candidate and upload his name on the commission’s candidate portal.

The legal action comes amid an internal dispute within the Oyo State chapter of the SDP over its governorship ticket.

The controversy centres on how the party arrived at its decision to submit Okunlade’s name despite Oladele’s claim that he had completed the required nomination process within the stipulated period.

The dispute could further complicate preparations for the 2027 Oyo governorship election as political parties continue to select candidates and organise their structures.

The Federal High Court had yet to fix a date for hearing the preliminary application at the time of the report.

The case now places the SDP’s Oyo governorship nomination before the judiciary, with the court expected to determine whether the party followed the applicable electoral and statutory requirements.