Court Orders INEC to Reinstate Adebutu as Ogun PDP Governorship Candidate Within 24 Hours

The 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 in Ogun State within 24 hours.

Justice Peter Lifu delivered the judgment on Friday, November 13, 2026, ruling that INEC acted beyond its statutory powers by removing Adebutu’s name from the final list of candidates without obtaining a court order.

The judgment represents a significant development in the contest for the Ogun State governorship, where the PDP had faced the prospect of being excluded from the February 2027 election following a dispute over its candidate’s eligibility.

The controversy began after INEC published its final list of governorship candidates on October 10, excluding Adebutu despite his emergence as the PDP candidate during the party’s primary election held on May 24.

INEC had questioned Adebutu’s eligibility on the grounds that his name could not be found in the party’s membership register submitted ahead of the primary election, News About Nigeria reports.

However, the PDP’s National Organising Secretary, Umar Bature, maintained during court proceedings that Adebutu was a registered member whose details were included in the membership register submitted to the electoral commission on April 22, 2026.

Bature told the court that the register, containing more than 30,000 names, was submitted electronically through a flash drive.

INEC’s programme analyst, Mustapha Mohammed, disputed the claim, explaining that a search of the register available to the commission did not reveal Adebutu’s name.

Under cross-examination, however, Mohammed acknowledged that he was not the official who received the flash drive and could not independently establish whether the material examined by INEC was identical to the register originally submitted by the PDP.

Justice Lifu held that the electoral commission had failed to provide sufficient evidence establishing that Adebutu’s name was absent from the original membership register.

The court also faulted INEC for failing to challenge the PDP’s May 24 governorship primary within the legally prescribed period.

In his judgment, Lifu maintained that the authority to nominate candidates belongs to political parties, while disputes concerning the qualification or disqualification of duly nominated candidates must be resolved through the courts.

He further held that INEC violated Adebutu’s right to a fair hearing by excluding him from the candidates’ list without providing an appropriate opportunity to respond to the allegations against him.

Consequently, the court directed the commission to amend its October 10 list and recognise Adebutu as the PDP’s governorship candidate.

The judgment also established that INEC could not validly announce the outcome of the Ogun governorship election without allowing Adebutu and the PDP to participate, warning that an election conducted in violation of the ruling would be unconstitutional.

Beyond the immediate implications for the PDP, the decision raises important questions about the limits of INEC’s administrative powers and the procedures electoral authorities must follow when challenging candidates nominated by political parties.

For Ogun voters, the ruling could restore an additional major party choice to the governorship contest, provided the order remains in force and is implemented by the electoral commission.

With the election scheduled for February 6, 2027, attention now turns to INEC’s response and whether the commission will comply with the directive or pursue further legal remedies.

The publication of an amended candidates’ list would provide the clearest indication that the commission has implemented the court’s decision.