Court Orders INEC to Reinstate Adebutu as Ogun PDP Governorship Candidate
By KEMI KASUMU
Nevertheless, after listening to the arguments of the parties and considering their final written addresses, the court ruled in favour of the PDP and Adebutu.
A Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to reinstate Oladipupo Adebutu as the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate for the February 6, 2027 election in Ogun State.
Justice Peter Lifu gave the order on Friday, November 13, 2026, while delivering judgment in a suit instituted by the PDP and Adebutu against INEC.
The suit, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/2573/2026, was filed on October 22, 2026, following the commission’s omission of Adebutu’s name from the final list of candidates published on October 10 for the 2027 governorship election.
The plaintiffs had asked the court to set aside INEC’s decision to omit, remove or refuse to publish Adebutu’s name as the party’s candidate.
They argued that the commission’s action violated Adebutu’s right to fair hearing and contravened Sections 29 and 32 of the Electoral Act, 2026.
They also sought an order compelling INEC to publish Adebutu’s name as the PDP governorship candidate within 24 hours of the court’s decision.
However, INEC, in its counter-affidavit, maintained that Adebutu’s name was not contained in the register of PDP members earlier submitted to the commission.
The electoral body, through Mustapha Mohammed, a Chief Programme Analyst in its Information and Communication Technology Department, told the court that its records contained only the name of the party’s deputy governorship candidate, Kolapo Lateefat Oyeyemi.
INEC also challenged Adebutu’s claim to membership serial number 1536, insisting that its records showed the number belonged to another individual, Lugboso Sunday Seun.
Nevertheless, after listening to the arguments of the parties and considering their final written addresses, the court ruled in favour of the PDP and Adebutu.
The judge consequently ordered INEC to restore Adebutu’s name as the PDP governorship candidate for Ogun State ahead of the 2027 general elections.
