Court Declares Owadara NDC Candidate for 2027 Elections

On October 20, the Federal High Court in Lagos, presided over by Justice Akintayo Aluko, ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to recognize Olumuyiwa Owadara as the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) candidate for the Oshodi/Isolo Federal Constituency I seat in the 2027 elections. The court set aside INEC’s August 1 announcement of Ibrahim Lukman as the candidate, stating that Lukman did not participate in the NDC primary.

Justice Aluko directed INEC to publish Owadara’s name and particulars immediately and awarded ₦1 million in costs against INEC and Lukman. The court found that INEC acted unlawfully, as its officials monitored the May 29 primary where Owadara was declared the winner.

The NDC confirmed that only one primary was held and Lukman was not involved. INEC's defense, claiming it merely published names uploaded to its portal, was rejected by the court.

The judge emphasized that INEC's actions violated the Electoral Act 2026 and lacked credible evidence. Lukman's claims of not being served were also dismissed by the court.