COURT ORDERS INEC TO PUBLISH ADEBUTU’S NAME WITHIN 24 HRS
A Federal High Court in Abuja says the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has no power to unilaterally disqualify a candidate from contesting an election and has ordered the reinstatement of the name of the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ogun State, Ladi Adebutu, on the commission’s candidates’ list within 24 hours.
Justice Peter Lifu held that Adebutu’s right to fair hearing was breached and noted that the power to disqualify a candidate after the name had been forwarded resides with the Federal High Court.
The court held that the exclusion of Adebutu’s name was unlawful, unconstitutional and of no effect.
These pronouncements were made after he had earlier dismissed INEC’s preliminary objection seeking the dismissal of the suit filed by the PDP.
The judge said the plaintiff participated in the primary for the 2027 poll and that on August 29, 2026, the party published his name, which was not challenged.
The issues for determination in the suit were whether the plaintiffs’ right to fair hearing was breached; whether INEC has the power to unilaterally disqualify Adebutu; and whether the commission can remove the name of the candidate, among others.
The judge said the Supreme Court did not give INEC the power to start omitting or removing names of members from a party, as the power to nominate a candidate for an election exclusively belongs to a political party.
The court said no person had filed any suit to challenge Adebutu within 14 days after the conduct of the poll. It consequently resolved all the issues in favour of the plaintiff and ordered INEC to rectify the list published on October 10, 2026, to reflect Adebutu’s name.
The court also declared that INEC cannot pronounce the result of the 2027 governorship election without the participation of the plaintiff, warning that such an election would be of no effect and unconstitutional.
