Court adjourns suit challenging Iyabo Obasanjo’s Ogun central candidacy

Court adjourns suit challenging Iyabo Obasanjo’s Ogun central candidacy

….Suit filed by PDP aspirant Sogbesan Amoo

The Federal High Court, Abeokuta Judicial Division, has adjourned till November 3, 2026, for further mention, a suit challenging the recognition and publication of Senator Iyabo Obasanjo as the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate for the Ogun Central Senatorial District in the 2027 general election.

The suit, marked FHC/AB/CS/117/2026, was filed on August 14, 2026, by Sogbesan Amoo, a PDP aspirant for the Ogun Central Senatorial District, against the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the PDP and Senator Iyabo Obasanjo.

The matter came up on Tuesday, September 29, 2026, before Justice Okeke, sitting in Court 1 of the Federal High Court, Abeokuta, for mention.

The suit followed the publication by INEC, on August 1, 2026, of Obasanjo’s name as the PDP’s candidate for the Ogun Central Senatorial District.

Among the issues the plaintiff wants the court to determine is whether INEC could lawfully accept and publish Obasanjo’s name when, according to the plaintiff, her name was not contained in the PDP membership register submitted to the electoral commission as required under Section 77(4) of the Electoral Act 2026.

Amoo is also challenging the validity of Obasanjo’s candidacy under Section 65(2)(b) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) contending that she was not a member of the PDP and did not participate in the party’s primary election.

The plaintiff further wants the court to determine whether, pursuant to Section 29(1) of the Electoral Act 2026, INEC could recognise or publish the name of a candidate who, according to the suit, did not participate in or win the valid primary election conducted by the PDP for the senatorial district.

Iyabo Obasanjo

Amoo is consequently seeking declaratory reliefs, including a declaration that INEC could not lawfully accept or publish Obasanjo’s name as the PDP’s Ogun Central senatorial candidate because the relevant provisions of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) and Electoral Act 2026 were not complied with.

At the proceedings, the plaintiff’s counsel, Eko Ejembi, SAN, represented by O.A. Oke, informed the court that a bailiff had attempted to serve the processes on September 28, but the third defendant, Senator Iyabo Obasanjo, was not available.

The court consequently adjourned the matter to November 3, 2026, for further mention.