SUPREME COURT RULING THREATENS IYABO OBASANJO’S 2027 SENATORIAL BID

​LEGAL JEOPARDY: Apex Court Restores Strict 21-Day Register Rule

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​ABUJA — The political ambition of former Ogun Central Senator, Prof. Iyabo Obasanjo, to return to the National Assembly in the 2027 general elections has run into a severe legal wall.

​This follows a landmark, unanimous judgment delivered by the Supreme Court, which restored critical statutory provisions governing political party membership registers and candidate nominations under the Electoral Act 2026.

​In the decision handed down by a seven-member panel led by Justice Adamu Jauro, the apex court upheld an appeal filed by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). The ruling effectively set aside an earlier Court of Appeal verdict and reinstated Sections 77(5), 77(6), 77(7), and 84(2) of the Electoral Act 2026, declaring them fully consistent with the 1999 Constitution.

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​The Statutory Trap: A Timeline in Conflict

​At the heart of the legal crisis facing Prof. Obasanjo’s candidacy is a rigid calendar of party migration and statutory deadlines.

​Under the restored provisions of Section 77(5), only individuals whose names appear on the official party membership register submitted to INEC not later than 21 days before a primary, congress, or convention are legally eligible to participate or emerge as candidates. Furthermore, Section 77(7) dictates that any political party failing to submit its register within the stipulated timeframe is entirely barred from fielding a candidate for that seat.

​The chronology of events surrounding Obasanjo’s recent political transition places her nomination in direct collision with these revived rules:

• ​Late May 2026: Obasanjo formally resigns from her former party, the All Progressives Congress (APC), following an aborted governorship bid. Her resignation letter is dated May 31 and becomes public knowledge on June 8.
• ​Mid-June 2026: On June 15, she is publicly received back into the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) secretariat in Abeokuta.
• ​Late June 2026: By June 17, she is officially unveiled as the PDP candidate for the Ogun Central senatorial race.

​“Records Will Decide It”

​Legal experts and election monitors note that political pageantry—including public rallies, secretariat receptions, and flag presentations—cannot override clear statutory mandates.

​Because her rapid switch from the APC governorship primary ecosystem to the PDP ticket occurred deep into June, the opposition party faces an uphill legal battle. To rescue her candidacy from disqualification, the PDP must produce the specific membership register filed with INEC ahead of the statutory window, prove that her name was formally logged within it at the relevant time, and demonstrate strict adherence to the Electoral Act.

​With the Supreme Court setting aside the interim legal breathing space previously granted by the appellate court, the margin for error has evaporated. Unless the PDP can produce a flawless paper trail meeting the restored 21-day threshold, Iyabo Obasanjo’s fast-tracked return to the Red Chamber stands legally vulnerable.