PDP to INEC: Restore Adebutu Within 24 Hours or Face Contempt

The Peoples Democratic Party has formally written to the Independent National Electoral Commission, demanding immediate compliance with the judgment of the Federal High Court in Abuja restoring Hon. Ladi Adebutu as its governorship candidate for Ogun State in the 2027 general election.

The letter was issued on Friday, November 13, 2026, following Justice Peter Lifu’s ruling that gave the electoral commission a 24-hour deadline to restore and publish Adebutu’s name, ValidViewNetwork reports .

THE LETTER

The letter, addressed to the Chairman of INEC, Professor Joash Amupitan, and signed by the party’s National Organising Secretary, Umar Bature, reminded the commission of the judgment delivered earlier on Friday and the strict timeline attached to it.

The party stated that it had fulfilled all legal and procedural requirements and that there was no basis for further delay.

It demanded that INEC immediately update its portal and publish Adebutu’s name as the PDP’s valid candidate for the Ogun State governorship election .

The PDP also warned that any failure to comply with the court order within the stipulated 24 hours would constitute contempt of court, and that the party would not hesitate to pursue legal consequences against the commission and its officials .

THE JUDGMENT: FOUR ISSUES, ONE VERDICT

The PDP’s demand is anchored on the comprehensive judgment delivered by Justice Peter Lifu, who dismantled INEC’s defence piece by piece, resolving four critical issues in the party’s favour.

First, on INEC’s claim that Adebutu was affected by an earlier Supreme Court judgment regarding party primaries, the court held that Adebutu was not a party to that suit.

Consequently, he could not be bound by its outcome. The Supreme Court ruling relied upon by INEC did not apply to him.

Second, on INEC’s power to remove candidates, the court ruled that the electoral commission cannot unilaterally delete or remove a candidate sponsored by a political party without first approaching a court of competent jurisdiction. INEC is an umpire, not a judge .

Third, the court questioned INEC’s decision to raise the issue of Adebutu’s name several months after the relevant processes had been concluded. Justice Lifu described the delay as an “absurdity” .

Fourth, on the contentious PDP membership register, the court noted that INEC had monitored the party’s governorship primary and subsequently published Adebutu’s name among its provisional list of candidates.

It held that the PDP had sufficiently established Adebutu’s membership of the party in Ogun State, while INEC failed to provide convincing evidence that the electronic copy of the register submitted by the PDP had been altered .

THE BACKGROUND

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The legal battle began after INEC omitted Adebutu’s name from its final list of 13 governorship candidates published on October 10, 2026 .

INEC’s defence, contained in a counter-affidavit deposed to by Mustapha Mohammed, a Chief Programme Analyst in its ICT Department, was that Adebutu’s name was not in the membership register submitted by the PDP.

The commission claimed it found only the name of the deputy governorship candidate, Kolapo Lateefat Oyeyemi, in the register, and that serial number 1536, which the PDP claimed belonged to Adebutu, actually belonged to one Lugboso Sunday Seun .

The PDP, through its National Organising Secretary, Umar Bature, disputed INEC’s position, insisting that Adebutu’s name was included in the flash drive submitted to the commission, and drawing attention to differences in the colour of the devices presented by both parties .

THE ANALYTICAL LENS

The PDP’s letter is a necessary escalation. The court has spoken. It has given INEC 24 hours to comply.

But INEC has a history of slow-walking court orders, of finding technicalities, of appealing judgments that do not favour its position.

The party’s decision to write the letter, and to threaten contempt proceedings, is an attempt to hold the commission accountable.

It is a reminder that a court order is not a suggestion. It is a binding directive. And those who ignore it do so at their peril.

The judgment itself was devastating for INEC.

The commission’s defence rested on a technical claim about a membership register and an appeal to a Supreme Court ruling that had nothing to do with Adebutu.

The court rejected both arguments, and it did so with language that left no room for ambiguity.

For INEC, the choice is simple. It can comply with the court order and restore Adebutu’s name, or it can defy the court and face the consequences.

The commission has said it is awaiting the Certified T rue Copy of the judgment. But the clock is ticking. And the party is watching.The letter has been sent.

The deadline is approaching. And the 2027 Ogun governorship race is on the line. ValidViewNetwork reports.