Ogun 2027: APC Says Court Ruling for Opposition Candidate Not an Electoral Mandate
ABEOKUTA, – Nigeria’s ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ogun State has downplayed a Federal High Court judgment that restored opposition candidate Oladipupo Adebutu to the ballot for the 2027 governorship election, saying a court victory does not equal voter support.
The Federal High Court in Abuja on Friday ruled in favor of Adebutu of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), clearing his candidacy after a dispute over the party’s membership register. In a reaction on Friday, the Chairman of the Planning Committee of the Ogun APC Presidential and Gubernatorial Campaign Council, Hon. Kayode Oladele, said the judgment only dealt with Adebutu’s legal eligibility to contest and would not change the APC’s electoral strategy.
“A court judgment on candidacy is not an electoral mandate. The PDP is entitled to celebrate the ruling, but the electorate will determine the outcome of the governorship contest,” Oladele said.
The APC said it will continue its statewide campaign under its candidate, Senator Solomon Olamilekan Adeola, popularly known as Yayi, campaigning on infrastructure, education, healthcare and economic development.
Oladele, a lawyer and former member of Nigeria’s House of Representatives, challenged the legal basis of the judgment delivered by Justice Peter Lifu, arguing it conflicts with a binding Supreme Court precedent in INEC v. Zenith Labour Party.
He said the lower court’s ruling appeared to assume that any exclusion of a name from the Independent National Electoral Commission’s (INEC) candidate list amounts to personal disqualification of the candidate, which under Nigerian law requires a prior court order. That, he argued, conflates two distinct legal concepts: the disqualification of an individual, and the statutory inability of a political party to sponsor a candidate due to non-compliance with the Electoral Act.
“The Supreme Court upheld the validity of Sections 77(5), 77(6) and 77(7) of the Electoral Act 2026 and recognised that an individual may possess the constitutional qualifications for election while the sponsoring political party remains subject to a statutory disability,” Oladele said.
“The Supreme Court did not declare compliance with Section 77 optional. Nor did it establish that an individual’s constitutional qualifications automatically cure a statutory disability affecting the sponsoring party.”
The dispute centers on whether INEC unlawfully disqualified Adebutu or acted within its statutory powers to enforce compliance with party membership registration requirements under Section 77 of the Electoral Act.
Oladele cited Section 287(1) of Nigeria’s 1999 Constitution, which obliges all lower courts and authorities to enforce Supreme Court decisions, saying any departure would form a strong ground for appeal. He said questions over the authenticity of the PDP’s operative membership register, the evaluation of evidence, and the interpretation of the Electoral Act remain unresolved and will be central to any appellate challenge.
INEC, Nigeria’s election management body, has not yet commented on whether it will appeal the judgment. Ogun State, in southwest Nigeria, is considered a key battleground ahead of the 2027 general elections, which will include governorship polls in 30 of Nigeria’s 36 states.
“The judicial process and the electoral campaign are two distinct matters. Ogun State voters will soon determine who governs the state,” Oladele said.
