The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has told the Federal High Court in Abuja that it excluded Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate in Ogun State, Ladi Adebutu, from the list of contenders for the 2027 election because his name was missing from the party’s membership register submitted to the commission.
INEC disclosed this in a counter-affidavit filed in response to a lawsuit instituted by the PDP and Adebutu, seeking an order compelling the electoral body to recognise him as the party’s governorship candidate.
According to the commission, its Information and Communication Technology (ICT) department searched the membership register provided by the PDP before publishing the final list of candidates but could only locate the name of the party’s deputy governorship candidate, Kolapo Lateefat Oyeyemi.
The commission maintained that several searches, including checks for possible variations of Adebutu’s name, failed to produce any matching record in the Ogun State membership register.
INEC further stated that the two flash drives submitted by the PDP alongside its membership documents did not contain Adebutu’s name or personal information.
In the affidavit deposed to by Mustapha Mohammed, a Chief Program Analyst in the commission’s ICT department, he also questioned the authenticity of the flash drive attached to the plaintiffs’ court documents, claiming that its contents differed from the records originally submitted to INEC.
The electoral body specifically disputed Adebutu’s claim to membership serial number 1536, stating that the number belonged to another party member identified as Lugboso Sunday Seun.
The dispute followed INEC’s publication of its final list of 13 candidates cleared to contest the Ogun State governorship election scheduled for February 6, 2027, which did not include Adebutu.
Dissatisfied with the decision, the PDP and its candidate approached the court, asking it to compel the commission to recognise his nomination.
After the parties adopted their final written addresses, Justice Peter Lifu fixed Friday for judgment.
Meanwhile, Labour Party chieftain Arabambi Abayomi accused Adebutu of allegedly presenting false information in his court affidavit over the disputed membership number. He called on the Attorney-General of the Federation to investigate the matter.
Abayomi also urged judicial authorities to examine what he described as an alleged attempt to influence the outcome of the ongoing court proceedings.
