The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has accused the All Progressives Congress (APC) of spreading misinformation regarding the eligibility of Senator Iyabo Obasanjo to contest the 2027 Ogun Central Senatorial election. According to Adeoye Adewale Adeniran, PDP House of Assembly candidate for Abeokuta South Constituency II, reports claiming that the Supreme Court had disqualified Obasanjo from contesting the election are misleading and politically motivated.
The controversy arose from a Supreme Court judgment on September 24, 2026, in a case involving the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the Zenith Labour Party (ZLP) over provisions of the Electoral Act 2026. The apex court upheld the validity of the disputed provisions and set aside an earlier Court of Appeal judgment that had voided them. The provisions in contention included Sections 77(5), 77(6), 77(7), and 84(2), which relate mainly to party membership registers and methods of candidate nomination.
Adeniran argued that the Supreme Court judgment did not mention Obasanjo or contain any order barring her from contesting the election. He stated that the attempt to present the judgment as an automatic disqualification of Senator Prof. Iyabo Obasanjo from the 2027 Ogun Central Senatorial election is factually unsupported, legally speculative, and designed to create confusion.
The PDP candidate noted that the case before the Supreme Court arose from a dispute between INEC and a political party, adding that Obasanjo was not a party to the proceedings. He described it as mischievous and intellectually dishonest to transform a judgment in a dispute between INEC and a political party into a purported judicial pronouncement against a particular candidate who was neither a party to the suit nor the subject of the judgment.
Adeniran challenged those circulating the alleged disqualification to identify the specific portion of the judgment that mentions Obasanjo or contains an order preventing her from contesting. He emphasized that what exists is a Supreme Court judgment on the constitutionality and operation of specified provisions of the Electoral Act 2026, which has nothing to do with Obasanjo, who has never ceased to be a member of the PDP.
The PDP candidate reiterated that there is no Supreme Court judgment disqualifying Senator Iyabo Obasanjo from contesting the election. He urged the public to disregard the false information being spread by the APC.
The development is a significant turn in the lead-up to the 2027 Ogun Central Senatorial election, with both parties engaging in verbal sparring over the eligibility of key candidates. The situation may continue to unfold as the election approaches.
Key points
- The PDP has accused the APC of spreading false information about Senator Iyabo Obasanjo's eligibility to contest the 2027 Ogun Central Senatorial election.
- The Supreme Court judgment in question did not mention Obasanjo or bar her from contesting the election.
- The PDP has challenged the APC to provide evidence from the judgment that disqualifies Obasanjo.
