BREAKING: Court orders INEC to recognise Adebutu as Ogun PDP gubernatorial candidate

Justice Peter Lifu of the Federal High Court, Abuja, has ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to reinstate the name of the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party in Ogun State, Ladi Adebutu, on the Commission’s candidates’ list within 24 hours.

Justice Lifu held that INEC has no power to unilaterally disqualify a candidate from contesting an election.

The judge, who also held that Adebutu’s right to fair hearing was breached, noted that the power to disqualify a candidate after the name had been forwarded “resides with the Federal High Court or State High Court.”

He said the exclusion of Adebutu’s name was unlawful, unconstitutional and of no effect.

Lifu made these pronouncements after he had earlier dismissed INEC’s preliminary objection seeking the dismissal of the suit filed by the PDP.

“I have carefully assessed the originating summons, and I see that it bears the name of the senior counsel and was signed by him. It also has the names of other counsels in the law firm,” he said.

He said the court perused the originating summons and considered it competent. The preliminary objection was, therefore, dismissed.

In the substantive suit, the judge said the second plaintiff (Ladi Adebutu), stated that he sought the office of the Governor of Ogun State in 2019 and he was the 2023 governorship candidate.

The court declared that by virtue of the Electoral Act, INEC was bound to publish Adebutu’s name. It ordered INEC to rectify the list published on October 10, 2026, to reflect Adebutu’s name.

The court also declared that INEC could not pronounce the result of the 2027 governorship election without the participation of the plaintiffs, or “the election shall be of no effect and unconstitutional.”