INEC excludes Ogun PDP’s Adebutu, running mate from final governorship candidates list

INEC’s final list for Ogun State’s 6 February 2027 governorship election does not include Ladi Adebutu, the PDP candidate, or his running mate. The omission matters because the published list identifies the candidates INEC currently recognises as standing for the election.

The list was signed by INEC Secretary Rose Oriaran-Anthony. It contains candidates from 13 political parties, including APC candidate Adeola Olamilekan and ADC candidate Lawal Adebisi, whose ticket followed a court order. The PDP ticket is absent from the published list.

INEC had not publicly explained the omission when the report was filed. The development follows allegations that Adebutu’s name was missing from the PDP membership register submitted to INEC. The party could notify INEC within 14 days of publication, using a signed notification and affidavit, but it had not said whether it would do so.

INEC’s published Ogun list contains 13 political parties and 13 governorship candidates. Each listed governorship candidate appears with a running mate, so the list represents 13 governorship tickets. The most striking detail is that the PDP ticket is not among them.

The parties include ADC, APC, Party A, AA, ADP, APM, APP, BP, NDP, NNPP, NRM, SDP, and YPP. ADC’s Lawal Adebisi and running mate Olutayo Florence were included following a court order. APC’s candidate is Adeola Olamilekan, described as a serving Nigerian senator.

This is the list reviewed by PREMIUM TIMES and signed by INEC Secretary Rose Oriaran-Anthony. It is not a count of every nomination made nationally. Ogun is one of 28 states scheduled to hold governorship elections on 6 February 2027, with State Houses of Assembly elections also planned.

If Adebutu and his running mate remain excluded, the PDP may have no governorship ticket recognised on INEC’s published list for Ogun State. That could affect whether the party appears in the governorship contest, because the list contains the candidates INEC has published as standing nominated.

The immediate example is the current list: it names 13 candidates from 13 parties, but no PDP candidate. The omission follows concerns from civil society groups that Adebutu’s name was absent from the PDP membership register submitted to INEC. Those groups sought his disqualification.

The article does not give a final legal ruling or say that PDP participation has definitively ended. Section 32(2) provides a response process. The party can notify INEC in writing within 14 days, with signatures from its national chairman and secretary and supporting affidavit. The consequences depend on what PDP and INEC do next.

INEC stands for the Independent National Electoral Commission. It is Nigeria’s electoral management body. Its role includes organising elections and determining, through its published candidate lists, which nominated candidates are recorded as standing for a contest.

The Ogun case shows one part of that role. INEC published the final list for the 6 February 2027 governorship election and identified candidates from 13 political parties. The list was signed by INEC Secretary Rose Oriaran-Anthony. It included the ADC ticket after a court order but omitted PDP candidate Ladi Adebutu and his running mate.

The commission also operates under procedures set out in the Electoral Act 2026. Section 32(1) requires it to publish candidates’ names and addresses at least 60 days before an election. Section 32(2) gives a party 14 days to report a missing candidate in writing, supported by an affidavit.

A party membership register is part of the documentation used to show a candidate’s connection to the party that nominated him. If a candidate’s name is missing, questions may arise about whether the nomination followed the party’s records and the requirements applied to candidates.

In this case, Elections Integrity Watch said a certified true copy of the PDP membership register obtained from INEC did not contain Adebutu’s name. Ogun Democratic Accountability Forum be 23rd and Elections Integrity Watch therefore raised concerns and demanded his disqualification from the governorship race.

The article does not state that the omission automatically invalidates Adebutu’s nomination. It says the absence raised questions about the documentation supporting his candidacy and his eligibility. INEC had not publicly explained why Adebutu and his running mate were omitted. The final effect would depend on the facts and any action by PDP, INEC, or a court.

Section 32(2) of the Electoral Act 2026 gives a registered political party a formal way to respond when its candidate is missing from INEC’s published list. The party must notify the commission in writing within 14 days after publication.

The notification must meet specific requirements. It must be signed by the party’s national chairman and national secretary. It must also be supported by an affidavit. These steps create a documented process for asking INEC to address an omitted candidate rather than relying only on public statements.

For the PDP, the article does not say whether this notification had been filed or whether the party planned to challenge the list. It also does not state what final decision INEC would make after receiving the notice. The ticket’s position therefore depends on the circumstances of the omission and any subsequent action by the party or commission.

Nigeria’s process, as described here, moves from party nomination to INEC publication. A political party puts forward its candidates, while INEC publishes the names and addresses of candidates standing nominated. Section 32(1) requires publication at least 60 days before the election.

The Ogun list demonstrates the mechanism. INEC published 13 governorship candidates from 13 parties, including ADC’s ticket after a court order. It did not publish PDP candidate Ladi Adebutu or his running mate. That omission shows why party nomination and INEC’s published record are separate stages in the process.

The article gives parties a remedy when a candidate is missing. Under Section 32(2), the party must write to INEC within 14 days, with signatures from its national chairman and secretary and an affidavit. The article does not detail every ballot-certification rule, so the final status depends on the omission’s circumstances and later action.