Breaking: Court Gives Verdict in INEC vs Delisted PDP Guber Candidate
- A Federal High Court in Abuja ruled on Friday against INEC over its handling of the Ogun State PDP governorship candidate list
- Justice Peter Lifu said INEC acted unconstitutionally by removing Oladipupo Adebutu's name without court backing
- The judge gave INEC 24 hours to publish Adebutu's name as the duly nominated PDP candidate for the 2027 election
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A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has directed the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to formally recognise Oladipupo Adebutu as the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate for the 2027 Ogun State governorship election.
Justice Peter Lifu delivered the ruling on Friday, ordering INEC to publish Adebutu's name as the party's duly nominated governorship candidate within 24 hours of the judgment.
Court faults INEC's decision
At the heart of the ruling was the question of whether INEC had the authority to remove a candidate from its records without a court order. Justice Lifu held that it did not, declaring that only a court of law carries the power to invalidate a candidate's nomination, not the electoral commission acting on its own.
The judge ruled that INEC's decision to remove Adebutu's name was unconstitutional, unlawful, and of no legal effect. He also found that the commission had violated Adebutu's right to a fair hearing before taking the step that effectively shut him out of the electoral process.
What the ruling means for the 2027 race
The court's directive compels INEC to restore Adebutu's name to its official candidate list, putting him back in contention for the PDP's governorship ticket in Ogun State ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Justice Lifu's position was clear: a political party's validly conducted nomination process cannot be overridden by INEC acting unilaterally. The commission must publish the name as instructed or face potential contempt proceedings.
Source: Legit.ng
