The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ogun State said Friday’s Federal High Court judgment restoring Oladipupo Adebutu to the list of governorship candidates would neither alter the APC’s campaign plans nor settle the political contest ahead of the 2027 election.
The party said the judgment concerned Adebutu’s legal right to participate in the election, stressing that Ogun State voters would ultimately determine the political contest.
Speaking in Abeokuta, the Chairman of the Planning Committee of the Ogun State APC Presidential and Gubernatorial Campaign Council, Hon. Kayode Oladele, said the APC would continue its statewide campaign under its governorship candidate, Senator Solomon Olamilekan Adeola, popularly known as Yayi, with an emphasis on public service records, infrastructure, education, healthcare and economic development.
He said, “A court judgment on candidacy is not an electoral mandate. The PDP is entitled to celebrate the ruling, but the electorate will determine the outcome of the governorship contest. Our campaign remains focused on the issues and on presenting our candidate’s record and development proposals.”
The APC chieftain, who is also a lawyer and former member of the House of Representatives, challenged the legal reasoning attributed to Justice Peter Lifu, particularly its implications for the Supreme Court’s decision in INEC v. Zenith Labour Party.
“The fundamental Tdifficulty with the reported judgment is its apparent assumption that every exclusion from INEC’s candidates’ list constitutes personal disqualification requiring a prior court order.
“That approach risks confusing two separate legal concepts: the disqualification of an individual candidate and the statutory inability of a political party to sponsor candidates because of noncompliance with mandatory provisions of the Electoral Act.
“The distinction is fundamental. The Supreme Court upheld the validity of Sections 77(5), 77(6) and 77(7) of the Electoral Act 2026 and recognised that an individual may possess the constitutional qualifications for election while the sponsoring political party remains subject to a statutory disability,” he said.
Oladele explained that the central issue was whether INEC exercised unlawful power to disqualify Adebutu personally or acted within its statutory authority in addressing an alleged violation affecting the PDP’s nomination process.
“The Supreme Court did not declare compliance with Section 77 optional. Nor did it establish that an individual’s constitutional qualifications automatically cure a statutory disability affecting the sponsoring party.”
He said that finding would be central to any appellate challenge, alongside questions about the authenticity of the operative register, the evaluation of the evidence, and the proper interpretation of the Electoral Act.
“The question for an appellate court is whether the learned trial judge correctly reconciled his factual findings with the binding principles established by the Supreme Court. It is not enough to describe INEC’s action as disqualification without examining the statutory foundation of the commission’s decision,” he stated.
Oladele cited Section 287(1) of the Constitution, which requires subordinate courts and public authorities to give effect to Supreme Court decisions.
He maintained that any departure from a binding legal principle would constitute a serious appellate issue.
He said the APC would continue its campaign activities in accordance with INEC’s timetable, leaving the legal questions to the relevant parties.
“The judicial process and the electoral campaign are two distinct matters. Ogun State voters will soon determine who governs the state.”
