Court Sacks Ondo Rep As APC Candidate

A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has removed Timehin Adeleye as the candidate of the All Progressives Congress for the Owo/Ose Federal Constituency of Ondo State.

The court declared Abdugani Arobo as the party’s rightful candidate.

Adeleye’s name was previously included among the candidates sent to the Independent National Electoral Commission by the APC National Working Committee.

This decision sparked protests among party members and chieftains in the state, prompting Arobo to challenge the NWC’s choice in court.

The defendants in the lawsuit are the APC and INEC.

In a judgment delivered on Wednesday, Justice Peter Lifu ruled that the APC failed to make a lawful return. He noted that the party’s evidence was riddled with inconsistencies.

The court declared that the plaintiff won the primary election for the House of Representatives seat.

The judgment stated: “The plaintiff, having scored the highest lawful votes cast at the primary election held on the 16th day of May, 2026, with a total of 7,959 votes in Owo Local Government Area and 2,583 votes in Ose Local Government Area respectively, is the only aspirant whose name can be lawfully forwarded to the second defendant (INEC) as its nominated candidate for the seat of the House of Representatives, representing the Owo/Ose Federal Constituency.”

The court issued mandatory orders regarding the candidate’s recognition.

It ordered: “An order is hereby made for the defendants to forthwith accept, recognise, support, relate and deal with only the plaintiff, as winner of the House of Representatives election for the Owo/Ose Federal Constituency; the plaintiff having scored the highest lawful votes cast in the first defendant’s primary election conducted on the 16th day of May, 2026.”

An injunction was also established to prevent any alternative recognition.

The court noted: “An order of perpetual injunction is made restraining the defendants, their agents and privies howsoever described, from recognising, dealing or relating with any other person apart from the plaintiff, as winner of the House of Representatives election for Owo/Ose Federal Constituency; the plaintiff having scored the highest lawful votes cast in the first defendant’s primary election conducted on the 16th day of May, 2026.”

Additionally, the electoral body received instructions to update its portal.

The court concluded: “An order is further made, directing the 2nd defendant forthwith to reopen its portal for the purpose of including and uploading the plaintiff’s name, as the rightfully nominated candidate of the 1st defendant, for the Owo/Ose Federal Constituency general election, to be conducted in 2027.”