Ogun 2027: PDP Candidate Adebutu Faces Eligibility Questions, Says APC Chieftain
INEC disclosures raise compliance issues under Electoral Act, court to deliver judgment November 13
ABUJA – A former member of the House of Representatives and chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Barr. Kayode Oladele, has said the governorship ambition of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate in Ogun State, Hon. Oladipupo Adebutu, is facing serious legal questions ahead of the 2027 elections.
Oladele, who chairs the Planning Committee of the Ogun APC Presidential and Gubernatorial Campaign Council, anchored his position on what he described as disclosures by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) before the Federal High Court in Abuja. He said INEC informed the court that Adebutu’s name did not appear on the PDP membership register initially lodged with the commission, and that the electronic register later presented by the party was inconsistent with the original hard copy in INEC’s custody.
Oladele further alleged that INEC disowned membership register serial number 1536 being paraded by Adebutu, insisting that the serial number belongs to another person. He said the issues strike at the heart of Section 77 of the Electoral Act, 2022, which mandates political parties to maintain and submit a credible register of members.
According to Oladele, compliance with the provision is a condition precedent for valid nomination of a candidate.
“No candidate can acquire a legal right through a political party that has failed to discharge its statutory obligations,” he said.
“The Supreme Court has settled this in INEC v. Zenith Labour Party. No amount of political pressure or media campaign against INEC can replace compliance with mandatory statutory requirements.”
The APC chieftain also raised a procedural point, arguing that the suit may be caught by the constitutional limitation period for pre-election matters. He explained that the court would need to resolve two critical issues: the legal effect of INEC’s testimony on the membership register, and whether the plaintiffs filed their action within time. While urging the PDP to respect the judicial process, Oladele said the ruling APC would not be distracted by what he called the opposition’s “internal and legal difficulties”.
“We in the APC are focused on our statewide stakeholders’ engagement, grassroots mobilisation and issue-based campaigns. The court will determine whether the PDP and its candidate have met the legal threshold,” he stated.
The Federal High Court, Abuja, presided over by Justice Peter Lifu, has adjourned the case to Friday, November 13, for judgment.
