The controversy over the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidacy in Ogun State has deepened, with the Labour Party South-West National Vice Chairman, Comrade Arabambi Abayomi, accusing former governorship candidate Ladi Adebutu of alleged perjury and raising concerns over an alleged attempt to influence ongoing judicial proceedings.
Abayomi, while addressing journalists, questioned the authenticity of documents allegedly submitted by Adebutu in a Federal High Court case challenging his exclusion from the Independent National Electoral Commission’s (INEC) final list of candidates for the 2026 Ogun State governorship election.
He maintained that INEC excluded Adebutu and his running mate after the commission determined that the PDP had failed to comply with the statutory requirement for submitting its digital membership register ahead of its governorship primary.
Citing Section 77(5)-(7) of the Electoral Act, 2026, Abayomi said political parties were required to submit their digital membership registers to INEC at least 21 days before conducting their primaries.
He also referred to the September 24, 2026 judgment of the Supreme Court in INEC v. Zenith Labour Party, Appeal No. SC/CV/495/2026, which he said affirmed the constitutionality and mandatory nature of the provisions.
According to him, the apex court upheld INEC’s timetable requiring political parties to submit their membership registers between April 21 and May 10, 2026, ruling that failure to comply would render defaulting parties ineligible to sponsor candidates in the election.
Abayomi said INEC relied on the Supreme Court’s decision, in line with Section 287(1) of the 1999 Constitution, as amended, when compiling the final list of governorship candidates.
He further alleged discrepancies between the membership records submitted to INEC by the PDP and documents subsequently presented by Adebutu in court.
According to the Labour Party chieftain, the flash drive tendered by Adebutu contained PDF files with membership serial numbers extending beyond 33,000, whereas the register originally submitted to INEC in April ended at 19,308.
He also claimed that the membership serial number allegedly attributed to Adebutu in his court affidavit belonged to another individual identified as Lugboso Sunday Seun.
Abayomi added that searches conducted by INEC using what he described as the authentic membership register failed to establish Adebutu’s membership of the party.
He argued that the alleged discrepancies raised questions about the accuracy of statements made under oath and called for an investigation into possible perjury.
Beyond the membership register controversy, Abayomi raised allegations of an attempt to influence proceedings before the Federal High Court, Court 10, presided over by Justice Peter Lifu.
He claimed that intelligence available to his camp suggested that individuals within the opposing camp were making arrangements to secure a favourable judicial outcome through alleged improper contacts and inducements.
The allegations also included claims of payments to political figures and attempts to compromise some officials of INEC.
However, Abayomi did not present the claims as established facts, but urged the relevant authorities to investigate them and take measures to protect the integrity of the judicial process.
He called on the Attorney-General of the Federation to investigate the alleged false statements in the court affidavit and claims of an attempt to pervert the course of justice.
He also appealed to the Chief Justice of Nigeria and the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court to take appropriate steps to safeguard the proceedings.
The dispute has further heightened political tension surrounding the PDP’s representation in the 2026 Ogun governorship election, with the competing claims bringing renewed attention to compliance with electoral laws, the authenticity of party membership records and public confidence in the judiciary.
