A Federal High Court in Abuja has removed Timehin Adeleye as the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate for the Owo/Ose Federal Constituency seat in the 2027 House of Representatives election, declaring Abdugani Arobo as the party’s rightful nominee.
The ruling, delivered on Wednesday by Justice Peter Lifu, followed a lawsuit filed by Arobo against the APC and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) after the party submitted Adeleye’s name as its candidate despite the outcome of the primary election.
Arobo approached the court, arguing that he emerged as the legitimate winner of the APC primary conducted on May 16, 2026, and challenged the party’s decision to forward Adeleye’s name to INEC.
Although the APC National Working Committee had endorsed Adeleye and submitted his name to the electoral commission, the move sparked opposition from several party members and leaders in Ondo State, who questioned the legitimacy of the nomination process.
In its judgment, the court held that the APC failed to make a lawful return from the primary election and noted that the evidence presented by the party contained significant contradictions.
Justice Lifu ruled that the credible evidence before the court showed that Arobo secured the highest lawful votes during the APC primary election, making him the valid winner of the contest for the Owo/Ose Federal Constituency ticket.
According to the court, Arobo scored 7,959 votes in Owo Local Government Area and 2,583 votes in Ose Local Government Area, giving him the highest lawful votes in the primary.
Based on these findings, the court declared Arobo the only aspirant whose name can legally be submitted to INEC as the APC candidate for the Owo/Ose Federal Constituency in the 2027 general election.
The court further ordered the APC to immediately recognise and deal exclusively with Arobo as the duly elected winner of the party’s primary for the House of Representatives seat.
Justice Lifu also restrained the APC, its officials, agents, and representatives from recognising or presenting any other person as the party’s candidate for the constituency.
In addition, the court directed INEC to reopen its nomination portal to enable the APC submit and upload Arobo’s name as its validly nominated candidate for the Owo/Ose Federal Constituency ahead of the 2027 general election.
The judgment effectively nullifies the party’s earlier submission of Adeleye’s name and confirms Arobo as the APC’s lawful candidate for the federal constituency.
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