Archive: Ladi Adebutu at an earlier public appearance. Source: Horizon Times. Not a photograph of the November 2026 court hearing. Reuse rights pending publisher review.
The Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to restore Oladipupo Adebutu to its list of candidates for the 2027 Ogun State governorship election, ruling that the commission could not unilaterally disqualify a person nominated by a political party.
Justice Peter Lifu delivered the judgment on Friday, 13 November 2026, directing INEC to amend the candidate list released on 10 October and publish Adebutu’s name within 24 hours. The court also found that the decision to omit the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate breached his right to a fair hearing.
Adebutu and the PDP challenged the omission after their representations to the electoral commission failed to secure a correction. At the centre of the dispute was INEC’s contention that Adebutu’s name did not appear in the membership register the party had submitted, even though the name of his running mate did.
In considering the evidence, the court heard testimony about the register submitted to INEC and the party’s governorship primary held on 24 May. The PDP maintained that Adebutu was a registered member and had been validly nominated. A witness called by INEC acknowledged under cross-examination that he had not personally received the flash drive containing the party’s membership list and could not independently confirm precisely what had been submitted.
Justice Lifu dismissed a preliminary objection that challenged the competence of the suit. On the substantive dispute, he held that the power to nominate candidates belongs to political parties, while the authority to determine a candidate’s legal disqualification after nomination lies with a competent court.
The judgment distinguished between the commission’s administrative duty to receive and publish party nominations and judicial determination of disputed eligibility. According to the court, INEC should have pursued a judicial determination if it considered a duly nominated candidate ineligible rather than removing the name on its own authority.
The court further held that excluding Adebutu without an opportunity to be heard violated the principle of fair hearing. The order requires the commission to correct the list for the Ogun governorship election scheduled for 6 February 2027.
The ruling is significant for the PDP’s preparations in Ogun State, where Adebutu previously contested the 2023 governorship election. It also clarifies the procedural limits of INEC’s powers in disputes over party nominations ahead of the 2027 election cycle. The contest is expected to involve candidates from the ruling All Progressives Congress and other parties, but the judgment itself does not determine any election result.
Adebutu welcomed the decision after it was delivered. His reaction does not establish that INEC has complied with the order or that every possible legal dispute has been exhausted. The commission’s updated candidate list, any formal response and any subsequent proceedings must be checked separately.
The ruling applies to the exclusion considered in this case. It should not be interpreted as a general judicial finding on the validity of every party nomination or on the eventual conduct of the Ogun governorship poll.
As of the completion of this report, independent confirmation that INEC had republished the candidate list with Adebutu’s name had not been established. The court’s direction and the commission’s subsequent action remain distinct events.
The judgment was reported by Punch, The Guardian and THISDAY following proceedings on 13 November.
