Court Orders INEC to Reinstate Adebutu as Ogun PDP Governorship Candidate Within 24 Hours
Court Orders INEC to Reinstate Adebutu as Ogun PDP Governorship Candidate Within 24 Hours
The Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to reinstate Oladipupo Adebutu as the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate for the 2027 Ogun State governorship election.
The judgment, delivered on Friday by Justice Peter Lifu, directed INEC to restore Adebutu’s name to the list of cleared candidates and publish it within 24 hours.
The court reportedly held that INEC had no authority to remove a candidate sponsored by a political party without a court order.
The ruling followed a suit instituted by Adebutu and the PDP against INEC after the commission excluded his name from its final list of governorship candidates published on October 10.
During the proceedings, INEC maintained that Adebutu’s name was missing from the party’s membership register submitted to the commission. However, the PDP disputed the claim, insisting that his name was included in the electronic list submitted through a flash drive.
The court reportedly found that the PDP had established Adebutu’s membership of the party and faulted INEC over its handling of the submitted records.
The judgment represents a significant development in the PDP’s preparations for the 2027 Ogun governorship election, with INEC now directed to comply with the court’s order within 24 hours.
