breaking: Adebutu Floors INEC, Wins Court Order To Run As Ogun PDP Governorship Candidate
The Federal High Court sitting in Abuja today Friday recognised Hon. Oladipupo Ladi Adebutu as the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) Governorship Candidate in Ogun State for the February 2027 election.
The court ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to his name as the PDP governorship candidate for Ogun, in the list of candidates cleared to contest the 2027 general election.
The judgement, delivered on Friday by Justice Peter Lifu, said INEC had no right to remove any candidate sponsored by a political party without a court order.
The court directed INEC to immediately publish his name in the list within 24 hours.
The court went on and faulted the decision of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to exclude his name from the final list of candidates.
Adebutu had approached the court alongside the PDP in a suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/2573/2026, challenging INEC’s decision to omit his name from the list published on October 10.
However, the commission had defended its action, arguing that Adebutu’s name was missing from the PDP membership register submitted to it, as required by Section 77(5)–(7) of the Electoral Act 2026.
INEC also maintained that its search of the register identified the party’s deputy Governorship Candidate, Kolapo Lateefat Oyeyemi, but returned no record matching Adebutu’s name.
However, the PDP disputed INEC’s position, with its National Organising Secretary, Umar Bature, telling the court that Adebutu’s name was contained in the membership records submitted by the party.
The plaintiffs also argued that INEC’s exclusion of the candidate violated relevant provisions of the Electoral Act and his right to fair hearing.
