A member of Ogun APC campaign council media and communications team, Bolaji Adeniji, has said that the omission of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate, Hon. Ladi Adebutu, from the Independent National Electoral Commission’s (INEC) final list of candidates for the February 6, 2027 governorship election may be a consequence of procedural failure within his own party.
Adeniji, who reacted on Sunday, to the controversy surrounding Adebutu’s absence from the list, argued that the development should be examined primarily from the perspective of compliance with the Electoral Act rather than the political accusations being directed at INEC and the APC.
INEC’s final list, published on October 10, 2026, contained 13 governorship candidates for Ogun State but excluded Adebutu and his running mate. The development has generated controversy, with questions raised about whether Adebutu’s name appeared in the PDP membership register submitted to the electoral commission.
The Ogun PDP has however disputed allegations of non-compliance and maintained that it fulfilled the relevant requirements for nomination of its gubernatorial flagbearer.
Speaking on the matter, Adeniji said the controversy should not be reduced to an allegation of political persecution without a proper examination of the statutory provisions governing party membership and nominations.
“The fundamental question is whether the PDP complied with the law in producing its candidate. This is not simply about INEC or blaming the APC or Senator Solomon Olamilekan Adeola, popularly known as YAYI”.
“If a political party fails to observe the rules governing its membership register and participation of members in its primary election, it must be prepared to face the consequences. Electoral requirements are not optional, and political grievances cannot replace statutory compliance,” Adeniji said.
He specifically drew attention to Section 77(5) of the Electoral Act, 2026, which provides that only party members whose names appear on the membership register submitted to INEC within the prescribed period may participate in party primaries, congresses and conventions.
According to him, “The central issue is whether Adebutu’s name appeared on the relevant register submitted by the authentic PDP within the statutory deadline and whether the process that produced him as the party’s governorship candidate complied with the law”.
“If Adebutu’s name was properly captured in the register submitted to INEC, the party should present the evidence through the appropriate legal channels. If there were shortcomings, the party must explain how they occurred. It is unreasonable to blame political opponents for every difficulty a party encounters,” he added.
The APC chieftain also cautioned the PDP against assuming that Section 32(2) of the electoral act provides an automatic route to restoring Adebutu to the candidates’ list.
The provision establishes a procedure through which a political party can notify INEC when the name of its nominated candidate is missing from the published list. The notification must be submitted in writing within 14 days of publication, signed by the party’s National Chairman and National Secretary, and supported by an affidavit.
Adeniji argued that “Section 32(2) is not a magic wand that automatically cures defect in a nomination. Before asking INEC to correct an omission, the party must establish the legal basis for its claim. If the underlying question concerns compliance with Section 77(5), that question cannot simply be wished away,” he said.
He urged the PDP to address the issues surrounding Adebutu’s omission with documentary evidence and lawful procedures rather than making unsubstantiated allegations against INEC or the APC.
“In the end, Ladi Adebutu may truly not be on the ballot as the issue is about noncompliance with provisions of the law and if going by the recent judgement of the supreme court that restored the validity of sections 77(5), 77(6), 77(7) and 82(4) of the electoral act, INEC may have just sealed the fate of Adebutu”, Adeniji added.
