A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to reinstate Ladi Adebutu as the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate for Ogun State in the 2027 general election.
Justice Peter Lifu issued the directive on Friday while delivering judgment in a suit filed by the PDP, Adebutu and the party’s National Secretary against INEC over the exclusion of the former governorship candidate from its official list of candidates published on October 10, 2026.
The court ordered INEC to restore Adebutu’s name to the list within 24 hours, declaring that the electoral commission acted unlawfully by removing a candidate duly nominated and submitted by a political party.
Justice Lifu maintained that INEC does not have the constitutional authority to independently disqualify a candidate who has been properly nominated by a political party. He explained that only a court of competent jurisdiction, particularly the Federal High Court or a State High Court, has the power to disqualify a candidate after the submission of the candidate’s name to the electoral commission.
The judge also ruled that INEC violated Adebutu’s constitutional right to fair hearing by excluding his name from the published candidates’ list without following the appropriate legal procedure.
Before delivering judgment on the substantive matter, the court dismissed INEC’s preliminary objection seeking to terminate the case.
Justice Lifu held that the suit filed by the plaintiffs was competent and properly initiated, noting that the originating summons was duly signed by a qualified senior legal practitioner.
In reviewing the case, the court examined Adebutu’s political history in Ogun State, including his participation in the 2019 governorship election and his emergence as the PDP governorship candidate for the 2023 election.
The court further established that Adebutu participated in the PDP governorship primary election ahead of the 2027 election, after which the party officially announced his emergence as its candidate on August 29, 2026.
According to the judge, there was no reported legal challenge to Adebutu’s emergence as the PDP candidate before INEC published its list on October 10, 2026, without including his name.
The court also observed that neither Adebutu nor the PDP had withdrawn from the Ogun State governorship race.
Following the publication of the list, the PDP and its National Secretary reportedly wrote to INEC on October 14, 2026, demanding an immediate correction and the restoration of Adebutu’s name.
However, INEC defended its decision, insisting that the exclusion was consistent with the provisions of the Electoral Act. The commission subsequently urged the court to dismiss the suit.
Rejecting INEC’s arguments, Justice Lifu ruled that the commission was legally obligated to publish Adebutu’s name, having received his nomination from the PDP.
Consequently, the court directed INEC to correct the October 10 candidates’ list and restore Adebutu’s name within 24 hours.
In another significant aspect of the judgment, the court declared that the 2027 Ogun State governorship election could not validly be concluded without the participation of the plaintiffs.
Justice Lifu further warned that any election conducted in violation of the court’s order would be unconstitutional and have no legal effect.
The judgment represents a major development in the political contest ahead of the 2027 Ogun State governorship election, particularly for the PDP and its efforts to retain Adebutu as its standard-bearer.
READ ALSO:
- Blessing CEO Admits Faking Breast Cancer Diagnosis, Says ‘I Played An Emotional Game’ After Receiving ₦13m Donations
- Court Orders INEC To Restore Ladi Adebutu As Ogun PDP Governorship Candidate
- US Shoots Down Two Iranian Drones Heading Towards Bahrain
- Tinubu Misses COP31 Leaders’ Summit For Third Consecutive Year
- ECOWAS Appoints Former Ghanaian President Akufo-Addo To Lead Nigeria’s 2027 Election Observers
