Court Orders INEC to Publish Adebutu as Ogun PDP Governorship Candidate

The Federal High Court in Abuja has ruled that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) must publish the name of Oladipupo Adebutu as the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate for Ogun State in the 2027 general election. The court gave INEC 24 hours to comply with the order. This decision was made by Justice Peter Lifu, who described INEC's action of excluding Adebutu's name as unconstitutional and unlawful.

According to Justice Lifu, INEC has no constitutional authority to unilaterally remove the name of a candidate validly nominated by a political party. The judge emphasized that the authority to invalidate a candidate's nomination rests with a court of competent jurisdiction, not the electoral commission. INEC's action was seen as an attempt to assume judicial powers, which is not within its mandate.

The court also held that INEC violated Adebutu's right to a fair hearing by excluding his name without allowing him to challenge the decision. The judge dismissed the preliminary objection filed by INEC against the suit, ruling that the case instituted by the PDP and Adebutu was competent. This decision has been welcomed by the PDP as a victory for democracy, justice, and the rule of law.

The PDP's National Publicity Secretary, Hon. Jungudo Haruna Mohammed, said the party was thrilled with the judgment, which has energized its members, supporters, and stakeholders as they intensify preparations for the 2027 general elections. The party urged the people of Ogun State to rally behind Adebutu and other PDP candidates, promising a government focused on economic opportunities, infrastructure, education, and healthcare.

Adebutu expressed his gratitude to the national leadership of the PDP, particularly Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, and the party's National Chairman, Abdulrahman Mohammed, for their support throughout the legal proceedings. He also thanked the Ogun State PDP leadership, members, supporters, and the good people of Ogun State for their patience and encouragement.

A member of the Governorship Campaign Committee, Wala Adedayo, said the party was shocked when Adebutu's name was not on the INEC portal, but they decided to explore the judicial option, which has now borne fruit. Adedayo expressed his belief that the verdict of the Federal High Court has shown that there is still hope for democracy in Nigeria.

The PDP and Adebutu had filed the suit on October 22, after discovering that his name had been omitted from the final list of candidates for the 2027 Ogun governorship election published by INEC on October 10. The plaintiffs had asked the court to determine the legality of INEC's decision to omit Adebutu's name and sought an order compelling INEC to include and publish his name as the PDP governorship candidate for Ogun State.

Key points

• The Federal High Court has ordered INEC to publish Oladipupo Adebutu's name as the PDP governorship candidate for Ogun State within 24 hours.
• The court ruled that INEC's action of excluding Adebutu's name was unconstitutional and unlawful.
• The PDP has welcomed the judgment as a victory for democracy, justice, and the rule of law.