The Federal High Court in Abuja has reversed Ladi Adebutu’s removal from the Ogun State governorship race, ordering the Independent National Electoral Commission to restore him as the Peoples Democratic Party’s candidate for 2027.
Justice Peter Lifu delivered the ruling on Friday, November 13, 2026, in a suit filed by Adebutu and the PDP challenging his omission from the electoral body’s final candidate list.
At the heart of the judgment was a question of authority: the court held that INEC cannot strike out a candidate duly sponsored by a political party unless it has first obtained an order of court.
The decision closes a contentious chapter that had dragged on for weeks.
It began when two civil society groups, the Ogun Democratic Accountability Forum and Elections Integrity Watch, questioned Adebutu’s standing in the party, claiming that a Certified True Copy of the PDP membership register in INEC’s possession did not list his name.
The Ogun PDP pushed back firmly, maintaining that Adebutu was a bona fide member who had met every requirement to run.
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INEC nonetheless left Adebutu and his running mate off the final list published on October 10, 2026.
The party then headed to court, asking the judge to compel the commission to recognise Adebutu as its flagbearer.
INEC stood its ground during the proceedings, arguing that its review of the party’s membership register had failed to confirm Adebutu’s membership details.