Court Orders INEC to Reinstate Ladi Adebutu as PDP Candidate

On November 13, 2026, the Federal High Court in Abuja, presided over by Justice Peter Lifu, ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to reinstate Ladi Adebutu as the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate for Ogun State in the 2027 elections. The ruling came in response to a suit filed by Adebutu and the PDP against INEC, which had excluded Adebutu from the final list of candidates published on October 10, 2026.

The court determined that INEC did not have the authority to remove a candidate sponsored by a political party without a court order. The controversy surrounding Adebutu's eligibility arose after two civil society organizations claimed that his name was missing from the PDP membership register obtained from INEC.

However, the Ogun PDP maintained that Adebutu was a registered member and met all requirements to contest the election.