A petition reportedly filed by Comrade Abayomi Arabambi, an unyielding opposition politician in Ogun State and public affairs commentator, may have led to the exclusion of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate, Hon. Oladipupo Adebutu, from the Independent National Electoral Commission’s (INEC) final list of candidates for the February 6, 2027, Ogun State governorship election.
The Daily Crucible had earlier reported that INEC’s final list contained 13 governorship candidates for Ogun State, with no candidate listed for the PDP.
The lists, signed by INEC Secretary, Rose Oriaran-Anthony, and published on the commission’s website on Saturday, October 10, 2026, did not include Adebutu, raising questions about the PDP’s participation in the forthcoming election.
Adebutu’s exclusion comes amid controversy over allegations that his name was missing from the PDP membership register submitted to INEC. The allegation has sparked concerns about his eligibility to contest the election on the party’s platform.
However, the Ogun State chapter of the PDP has rejected the claim, insisting that Adebutu is a duly registered party member and that it complied with the relevant requirements for registering members and submitting its membership register to the electoral commission.
The development also comes against the backdrop of INEC’s warning that political parties that fail to comply with statutory requirements governing membership registers could be barred from fielding affected candidates or substituting them.
INEC National Commissioner for Information and Voter Education, Mohammed Haruna, had previously stated that political parties would not be allowed to benefit from non-compliance with relevant electoral provisions.
Speaking with The Daily Crucible by telephone on Saturday night, Arabambi confirmed that he and the Action Alliance (AA) governorship candidate in Ogun State, Prof. Awofala Awolola, had petitioned INEC to remove Adebutu’s name from the list of candidates for the 2027 election.
According to Arabambi, the petition challenged Adebutu’s eligibility on the grounds that his name was allegedly absent from the PDP membership register submitted to INEC in support of his nomination.
He commended the commission’s decision, saying it demonstrated a commitment to impartiality, adherence to the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, and compliance with the provisions of the Electoral Act.
The petition, dated September 30, 2026, was addressed to the INEC chairman at the commission’s headquarters in Abuja.
Arabambi said the letter, signed by Prof. Awofala Awolola and Dr. Abayomi Arabambi, was acknowledged and stamped as received by the commission on the same day.
Through their legal representatives, the petitioners urged INEC to expunge the names of Adebutu and his running mate from the list of governorship candidates for the 2027 election.
They also asked the commission to review the documents submitted by the PDP in support of Adebutu’s nomination and sponsorship, particularly the party’s membership register, to determine whether his name appeared on the register submitted to the electoral body.
The petition was handled by legal representatives identified as Anderson Asemota(Principal Partner), Chief S. T. Yenge, Esq., and Eziefule Chidiebere Stanley, Esq., alongside seven other lawyers from the law firm of NEPLUS ULTRA ATTORNEYS.
Arabambi maintained that INEC’s action was consistent with the concerns raised in the petition, describing the development as a reminder that political parties and their candidates must comply with electoral laws and nomination requirements.
INEC Yet to Clarify Grounds for Exclusion
Adebutu’s exclusion represents a significant setback for the PDP in Ogun State as political parties intensify preparations for the 2027 governorship election.
However, the specific grounds for INEC’s action, including whether the commission formally linked Adebutu’s exclusion to the petition, had yet to be independently established at the time of filing this report.
The responses of Adebutu and the Ogun State chapter of the PDP to the latest development were also not immediately available.
Further clarification from INEC, alongside responses from the affected parties, is expected to shed more light on the circumstances surrounding the exclusion.
