Lauretta Fagbohun,
Abeokuta.
The Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to reinstate former Ogun State governorship candidate, Oladipupo Adebutu, as the Peoples Democratic Party’s (PDP) candidate for the 2027 governorship election.
The ruling represents a significant legal breakthrough for Adebutu, whose name was reportedly omitted from INEC’s final list of candidates following the party’s internal political crisis.
Delivering judgment, Justice Peter Lifu directed the electoral commission to recognise and restore Adebutu’s candidacy, following a legal challenge against his exclusion from the electoral process.
Reacting to the judgment, Adebutu described the court’s decision as a triumph of justice, declaring that justice had prevailed.
The development is expected to reshape political calculations within the Ogun State chapter of the PDP as preparations intensify ahead of the 2027 governorship election.
Adebutu’s legal victory also places renewed attention on the relationship between political parties and INEC, particularly regarding the recognition of candidates emerging from party nomination processes.
The court order marks an important development in the unfolding political contest in Ogun State, although its wider implications for the PDP’s internal disputes and the 2027 electoral contest remain to be seen.
