ABUJA — Two opposition figures have petitioned the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) over an alleged attempt to retrospectively regularise the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) membership status of former Ogun State governorship candidate, Oladipupo Adebutu.
The petitioners, Dr. Arabambi Abayomi, Labour Party National Vice Chairman for the South-West, and Professor Awofala Awoniyi Awolola, Action Alliance governorship candidate in Ogun State, raised the concerns at a press conference in Abuja on Wednesday.
They alleged that individuals acting in Adebutu’s interest were attempting to use an affidavit to explain the reported omission of his name from the PDP membership register submitted to INEC ahead of the party’s governorship primary for the 2027 general elections.
The opposition figures argued that any attempt to retrospectively validate the disputed membership status must comply with the Electoral Act 2026 and applicable court judgments.
Dispute Over Membership Register
According to the petitioners, the PDP conducted its Ogun State governorship primary on May 24, 2026, in Abeokuta.
They cited Section 77 of the Electoral Act 2026, which they said requires political parties to submit their membership registers to INEC at least 21 days before conducting primaries.
Abayomi alleged that Adebutu’s name was missing from the register submitted to the commission, adding that a Certified True Copy issued by INEC on July 20, 2026, supported their position.
The petitioners said they subsequently received information suggesting that an affidavit had been prepared to explain the alleged omission as an error by the party.
They linked the information to an alleged disclosure by Jasper Anietimfon Louis, a member of the Ogun State PDP Executive Committee, during a WhatsApp discussion. Louis reportedly indicated that the party’s National Organising Secretary had sworn to the affidavit.
However, the petitioners acknowledged that they had not obtained a copy of the document and called on INEC to establish whether it existed, verify its authenticity and determine whether it had been submitted to the commission.
Fear of Retrospective Validation
The petitioners expressed concern that the alleged affidavit could be used to persuade INEC to recognise Adebutu as the PDP’s governorship candidate despite the reported omission of his name from the original membership register.
They also alleged that the document could be connected to a planned announcement or republication of Adebutu’s name by the commission on October 29, 2026.
Abayomi argued that an affidavit explaining an omission could not, by itself, amend an official register after submission or retrospectively satisfy a statutory requirement.
He cited Sections 77(4), 77(5), 77(6) and 77(7) of the Electoral Act 2026, maintaining that the law establishes requirements governing party membership registers and eligibility to participate in primaries.
According to him, there is a legal distinction between explaining an alleged failure to comply with the law and actually meeting the statutory requirements within the prescribed timeframe.
He maintained that an affidavit could serve as evidence of facts but could not independently amend legislation, replace a statutory register or override a binding court judgment.
Petitioners Invoke Supreme Court Judgment
The opposition figures also referred to a Supreme Court judgment they identified as INEC v. Zenith Labour Party, Appeal No. SC/CV/495/2026, reportedly delivered on September 24, 2026.
They argued that the judgment was relevant to the interpretation and application of membership register requirements under Section 77 of the Electoral Act.
The petitioners further cited Section 287(1) of the 1999 Constitution, as amended, which provides for the enforcement of Supreme Court decisions throughout the federation.
They maintained that neither INEC nor any political party should take administrative steps that conflict w
