El-Rufai’s Ally Wins ADC Governorship Ticket Battle In Ogun

El-Rufai’s Ally Wins ADC Governorship Ticket Battle In Ogun
INEC ordered to recognise Lawal as the party’s flag bearer.
ADC chairman urges members to unite ahead of governorship election.

A Federal High Court sitting in Abeokuta, Ogun State, has declared Otunba Jimi Adebisi Lawal the authentic governorship candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) for the forthcoming governorship election in the state.

The judgment, delivered on Thursday by Justice Abiodun Jordan Adeyemi, ended a prolonged leadership and candidature dispute that had divided the ADC into rival camps, with different aspirants claiming the party’s governorship ticket.’

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EKO HOT BLOG reports that Lawal, a close associate of former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El Rufai, secured the legal victory after the court ruled that the process through which he emerged as the party’s candidate complied with the Electoral Act and the constitution of the ADC.

The suit, marked FHC/AB/CS/97/2026, challenged the legitimacy of the governorship primary that produced competing candidates within the party.

Lawal and Dr Collins Ogundipe, an artificial intelligence expert, had both claimed the ADC governorship ticket following the disputed primary election.

In his judgment, Justice Adeyemi held that the primary election that produced Lawal was validly conducted and monitored by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

The court further ruled that the exercise complied with relevant statutory requirements and remained the only lawful governorship primary recognised under the law.

Consequently, the judge declared Lawal the authentic governorship candidate of the ADC in Ogun State.

The court also directed INEC to recognise Lawal and reflect his name in its official records as the party’s flag bearer for the election.

Reacting to the judgment, the Ogun State Chairman of the ADC, Femi Soluade, described the ruling as a victory for democracy and an opportunity for the party to put its internal divisions behind it.

Soluade expressed gratitude over the outcome and said the judgment had resolved the controversy surrounding the party’s governorship ticket.

He urged members of the ADC to close ranks and work together ahead of the election.

Lawal described the court’s decision as an act of divine intervention after months of uncertainty over the outcome of the party’s primary.

“Alhamdulillah. I am exceedingly grateful to Almighty God. Without God’s grace, nothing is possible. Today’s victory is by His grace,” he said.

The ADC candidate maintained that he won the primary convincingly but endured months of uncertainty after the result became disputed.

“I have had sleepless nights since May because I believed I had been cheated. I won on merit. It was not a close contest; it was a landslide. Yet, what was a landslide was turned into a minority,” Lawal said.

He also commended the judiciary for what he described as its commitment to the rule of law and the delivery of justice.

El-Rufai’s Ally Wins ADC Governorship Ticket Battle In Ogun

The judgment is expected to provide clarity on the ADC’s representation in the forthcoming Ogun State governorship election as the party moves to consolidate its campaign ahead of the poll.