COURT ORDERS INEC TO REINSTATE ADEBUTU
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate in Ogun State, Oladipupo Adebutu, has welcomed a Federal High Court judgment ordering the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to restore his name to the list of candidates for the 2027 governorship election.
Adebutu described the ruling as a victory for justice, following a legal battle over INEC’s decision to exclude his name from the final list of candidates for the election.
The judgment was delivered on Friday by Justice Peter Lifu of the Federal High Court in Abuja.
The court directed INEC to reinstate Adebutu, holding that the electoral commission could not remove a candidate sponsored by a political party without a court order.
The PDP and Adebutu had approached the court on October 22, challenging INEC’s decision to omit his name from the final list of candidates published on October 10.
They argued that the commission’s action violated their right to fair hearing and breached provisions of the Electoral Act 2026.
During the proceedings, the PDP maintained that Adebutu’s name was included in the electronic list of candidates submitted to INEC.
The party’s National Organising Secretary, Umar Bature, told the court that the flash drive submitted by the PDP contained Adebutu’s name.
However, INEC disputed the claim, insisting that its records did not contain Adebutu’s name in the membership register submitted by the party. The commission said it found only the name of the party’s deputy governorship candidate.
The dispute over the documents submitted to INEC became a major issue during the hearing, with both parties presenting witnesses to support their positions.
Adebutu’s suit sought to compel INEC to recognise him as the PDP’s duly nominated candidate for the February 6, 2027 Ogun governorship election.
The latest judgment represents a significant development in the PDP’s preparations for the election, although any further legal challenge could affect the final outcome of the dispute.
