A Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to reinstate the name of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate in Ogun State, Ladi Adebutu, on its list of candidates for the 2027 governorship election.

Justice Peter Lifu, who delivered the judgment on Friday, ruled that INEC lacked the power to unilaterally disqualify a candidate from participating in an election after the candidate’s name had been submitted to the commission.

The court held that Adebutu’s right to fair hearing was breached, adding that the authority to disqualify a candidate after the submission of names rests with the Federal High Court or State High Court.

Justice Lifu consequently declared the exclusion of Adebutu’s name from the candidates’ list unlawful, unconstitutional and of no effect.

The judgment followed the dismissal of INEC’s preliminary objection seeking to terminate the suit instituted by the PDP.

In dismissing the objection, the judge held that the originating summons filed by the plaintiffs was competent, noting that it contained the name and signature of the senior counsel, alongside those of other lawyers in the firm.

While considering the substantive suit, the court heard that Adebutu had contested the Ogun State governorship election in 2019 and emerged as the PDP candidate in 2023.

He also participated in the party’s primary election for the 2027 governorship poll, following which the PDP published his name as its candidate on August 29, 2026, without any challenge to his emergence.

However, when INEC published its list of governorship candidates in October, Adebutu’s name was missing.

The plaintiffs maintained that Adebutu had not withdrawn from the race and that the PDP and its National Secretary wrote to INEC on October 14, 2026, requesting the reinstatement of his name, but the commission failed to act.

INEC, in its defence, argued that it was bound by the provisions of the Electoral Act and urged the court to dismiss the suit.

However, the court ruled that INEC was legally obligated to publish Adebutu’s name, directing the commission to amend the candidates’ list released on October 10, 2026, to reflect his candidacy.

The court further declared that INEC could not validly announce the outcome of the 2027 Ogun State governorship election without the participation of the plaintiffs, warning that any election conducted in their absence would be unconstitutional and of no effect.