ABEOKUTA — Fresh controversy has erupted within the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ogun State following claims that the names of several candidates seeking elective positions on the party’s platform in the 2027 general elections are missing from the party’s membership register reportedly submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
An examination of a copy of the register obtained by our reporter indicates that while the names of some PDP candidates appear on the document, several others contesting the governorship, Senate, House of Representatives and State House of Assembly seats are allegedly absent.
The development has triggered questions about the party’s compliance with statutory requirements governing membership registers and the possible legal implications for the affected candidates and the PDP ahead of the 2027 elections.
At the governorship level, the name of Ladi Adebutu, the PDP candidate, was reportedly not found on the register examined.
The situation is similarly contentious at the senatorial level, where the names of Iyabo Obasanjo, representing Ogun Central; Omotayo Oluwafemi Abdulwaheed, Ogun East; and Ogunola Babatunde, Ogun West, were reportedly absent from the document.
However, the register presents a mixed picture among candidates contesting seats in the House of Representatives.
The names of Adekoja Adesegun Abdulmajid, representing Ijebu East/Ijebu North/Ogun Waterside; Jones Olumide Akintunde, Ewekoro/Ifo; and Amuzu Oluwatoyin Anthony, Abeokuta South, were reportedly found on the register.
Those reportedly missing include Ogunbanjo Wale Anthony for Ijebu Ode/Ijebu North East/Odogbolu; Adeshina Adigun Emmanuel for Yewa North/Imeko-Afon; Agemo Okuboyejo for Ado-Odo/Ota; Oluwole Bolarin for Remo North/Ikenne/Sagamu; Olaleye Oladele for Abeokuta North/Obafemi Owode/Odeda; and Afolabi Oluwatade Jeremiah for Egbado South/Ipokia.
Assembly Candidates Also Affected
The situation also extends to the Ogun State House of Assembly, where the register examined contains the names of some candidates while others are reportedly not listed.
Among those whose names reportedly appear are Bello Aderemi of Odeda, Shodipe Tobi of Obafemi Owode, Idowu Abiodun Issa of Ewekoro, Kuye Omobolaji of Ijebu North II, Oludaisi Yusuf Abiodun of Ijebu Ode, Adeniye Sulaimon of Ikenne and Ogundele Jacob of Egbado South.
Candidates whose names were reportedly not found include Majekodunmi Olufunbi, Adeoye Adewale Adeniran, Oyebande Moruff Kehinde, Ayoade Tunde Kunle, Agbolade Oladapo Olayemi, Adeboye Badejo, Anifowose Yomi, Adewale Solomon Damilola, Oyesanya Kehinde Adebambo, Oluwole David Olutayo, Ibitayo Olufemi Anthony, Adeagbo Rasaq Adigun, Ogunbiyi Philips Oluwatobi, Mautin Oluwatosin Gbehosu and Omoroga Abayomi.
Legal Implications
The development is significant against the backdrop of statutory provisions requiring political parties to maintain membership registers and make them available to INEC in accordance with the Electoral Act.
Recent judicial pronouncements concerning membership-register requirements have also generated considerable debate among political parties, lawyers and election observers.
The legal position, as reflected in recent judicial interpretation, is particularly important because the absence of a candidate’s name from a membership register does not, by itself, necessarily mean that the individual is automatically disqualified from contesting an election.
Rather, the more fundamental question could be whether the political party itself complied with the statutory requirements concerning the compilation, maintenance and submission of its membership register.
This distinction could prove crucial in any legal challenge arising from the development.
Consequently, the discovery of a candidate's name missing from a copy of a register should not automatically be interpreted as proof that the candidate has been disqualified from the 2027 election.
Several other factors would have to be established, including the authenticity of the document examined, the date on which the register was submitted to INEC, whether subsequent lawful updates were made, and whether the nomination process complied with the applicable provisions of the law.
Questions for PDP
The development nevertheless raises questions that the Ogun PDP leadership may need to address, particularly concerning how the affected candidates were nominated and whether their membership status was properly captured in the register submitted to the electoral commission.
It also raises questions about whether the document examined represents the final and authentic register recognised by INEC or whether there are other versions or subsequent updates that could explain the discrepancies.
For candidates whose names appear on the register, the issue may be less contentious. For those whose names are missing, however, clarification from the party and INEC could become necessary to establish their status and prevent speculation ahead of the election.
Political analysts are expected to closely monitor the development, especially given the increasingly litigious nature of Nigerian electoral politics, where questions surrounding party primaries, membership, nomination and statutory compliance frequently become subjects of litigation.
INEC’s Role
INEC could also become central to resolving the controversy if formal complaints are lodged.
The commission would be in a position to clarify whether the document in circulation represents the membership register submitted by the Ogun PDP within the legally prescribed timeframe and whether the names in question were included in any subsequent or officially recognised version.
Until such clarification is obtained, the alleged omissions should be treated as a matter requiring verification rather than conclusive evidence that the affected candidates have lost their eligibility to contest.
With the 2027 general elections approaching, the controversy underscores the importance of strict compliance by political parties with electoral laws and regulations.
For the Ogun PDP, the immediate challenge may be to provide clarity over the discrepancies and reassure its candidates and supporters that all statutory requirements relating to membership, nomination and the submission of party records have been properly fulfilled.
The matter could also serve as another reminder to political parties that technical compliance with electoral laws can become just as consequential as political campaigns when election disputes eventually reach the courts.
For now, the central questions remain: Is the document examined the final register submitted to INEC? Why are the names of some PDP candidates reportedly missing? Were the affected candidates validly registered members of the party at the relevant time? And, ultimately, does any omission affect the PDP’s eligibility to field candidates in Ogun State in 2027?
Those questions may require authoritative answers from both the Ogun PDP leadership and INEC before the full legal significance of the alleged discrepancies can be determined.
