The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has been ordered to include the name of Oladipupo Adebutu among the candidates who will be contesting for governorship polls in next year’s general elections.
The order was given by Justice Peter Lifu of the Federal High Court on Friday, who instructed the electoral body to recognise and reinstate Adebutu as the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in Ogun State.
Adebutu and the PDP had filed a suit, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/2573/2026, on October 22 challenging INEC’s decision to exclude Adebutu’s name from the final list of candidates for the February 6, 2027 governorship election in Ogun State.
The PDP and Adebutu asked the court to reverse INEC’s decision to omit, remove, or refuse to recognise or publish Adebutu’s name on the final list published on October 10.
They argued that the omission violated his right to a fair hearing and Sections 29 and 32 of the Electoral Act, 2026.
They also asked the court to compel INEC to publish Adebutu’s name as the PDP governorship candidate for Ogun State within 24 hours of the order.
INEC, in its counter-affidavit, had told the court that Adebutu’s name was not found in the register of members the PDP earlier submitted to it.
The commission, through Mustapha Mohammed, a Chief Programme Analyst in its Information and Communication Technology Department, said it found only the name of the PDP’s deputy governorship candidate in the state, Kolapo Lateefat Oyeyemi, in the register.
INEC also faulted Adebutu’s claim to membership serial number 1536, saying its records showed that the number belonged to one Lugboso Sunday Seun.
But Justice Lifu, after listening to the parties and adopting their final written addresses, ruled in favour of the PDP and Adebutu and ordered INEC to restore his name.
