Get Guardian on Google… Faults the electoral body for omitting Adebutu’s name in its updated final list
The Egba Integrity Group (EIG), Ogun State, has criticised the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) over what it described as the selective application of a Supreme Court judgment in the handling of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidates in Ogun State.
The group, in a statement issued and signed by Otunba Osikoya Thompson yesterday, alleged that INEC applied the court’s decision to the governorship candidate but failed to extend the same treatment to the party’s National Assembly candidates.
EIG’s position came shortly after its Commission Meeting, insisting that the Supreme Court’s judgment must be respected and applied uniformly, stressing that INEC was obligated to comply with all applicable laws rather than selectively enforce them.
The group cited the Supreme Court judgment delivered on September 24, 2026, in the case of INEC vs ZLP (SC/CV/495/2026), which it said affirmed the mandatory provisions of Section 77(5), (6) and (7) of the Electoral Act 2026.
According to EIG, the judgment established that any political party that failed to submit its authentic membership register to INEC between April 21 and May 10, 2026, could not validly sponsor candidates for any elective position, including governorship, Senate, House of Representatives and State Assembly seats.
It, however, accused the electoral commission of applying the judgment differently to candidates contesting for various positions.
The group stated that INEC had applied the provisions in the governorship category, citing the conditional clearance of Isa Pantami of the PDP in Gombe State and Abdulsalam Gwarzo of the NDC in Kano State, as well as the rejection of Ladi Adebutu, the PDP governorship candidate in Ogun State.
EIG alleged that the same PDP membership register that was considered defective in Adebutu’s case was subsequently accepted for the party’s National Assembly candidates, including Senator Iyabo Obasanjo, who is contesting for Ogun Central Senatorial District.
Describing the development as discriminatory, the group argued that Section 77 of the Electoral Act made no distinction between governorship and National Assembly candidates.
It maintained that if the PDP’s membership register was invalid for the purpose of sponsoring a governorship candidate, it should equally be considered invalid for its Senate and House of Representatives candidates.
The statement further argued that INEC had no discretion in implementing the Supreme Court judgment, adding that the commission’s alleged failure to apply the ruling consistently could render the National Assembly candidates’ list published on October 10, 2026, liable to be challenged.
EIG also called on the people of Egba to reject what it described as selective justice, insisting that the PDP membership register could not be considered defective in one instance and acceptable in another.
The group consequently gave INEC seven days to apply the Supreme Court judgment to the National Assembly candidates’ list published on October 10 by withdrawing the names of candidates it alleged were not contained in the party’s authentic membership register.
It warned that failure to comply would prompt it to pursue contempt and mandamus proceedings at the Federal High Court, Abeokuta, in Suit No. FHC/AB/CS/117/2026, Sogbesan Amoo v. INEC & Ors.
The group said it would also seek a court declaration invalidating the INEC National Assembly candidates’ list to the extent that it contained candidates allegedly excluded from the PDP’s authentic membership register.
