By Fatima Saka
The Labour Party has called for an investigation into alleged false statements under oath and attempts to compromise judicial proceedings over the controversy surrounding the Peoples Democratic Party’s (PDP) governorship candidacy in Ogun State.
The party’s South-West National Vice Chairman, Comrade Arabambi Abayomi, made the call while addressing journalists, alleging discrepancies between the membership records submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and documents later presented by Ladi Adebutu in a Federal High Court case.
Abayomi said the discrepancies raised questions about the authenticity of the documents used to establish Adebutu’s membership of the PDP, particularly as the electoral commission had excluded him and his running mate from its final list of governorship candidates.
He explained that INEC’s decision followed the PDP’s alleged failure 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 membership registers to INEC at least 21 days before conducting their primaries.
He also referenced the Supreme Court judgment of September 24, 2026, 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, and ruled that parties that failed to comply would be ineligible to sponsor candidates in the election.
Abayomi maintained that INEC relied on the Supreme Court’s decision in finalising the list of candidates for the Ogun governorship election, excluding parties that failed to meet the statutory requirement.
He further alleged that documents submitted by Adebutu in the Federal High Court differed significantly from the membership records originally received by INEC.
According to him, a flash drive tendered by Adebutu contained PDF files with membership serial numbers exceeding 33,000, whereas the register submitted to INEC in April ended at serial number 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.
The Labour Party chieftain added that searches conducted by INEC using the authentic membership register failed to establish Adebutu’s membership, describing the alleged discrepancies as matters requiring investigation for possible false deposition under oath.
Beyond the membership controversy, Abayomi raised concerns over what he described as an alleged 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 arrangements were being made to secure a favourable judicial outcome through alleged inducements involving legal representatives and some officials.
He also alleged payments to political figures and attempts to compromise certain INEC officials.
However, Abayomi did not present the allegations as established facts, but urged relevant authorities to investigate them and take steps 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 attempts to pervert the course of justice.
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He also urged the Chief Justice of Nigeria and the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court to take appropriate measures to safeguard the proceedings and ensure that justice was not compromised.
Abayomi said the controversy extended beyond the political struggle over the PDP’s governorship ticket, raising wider concerns about compliance with electoral laws, the integrity of court processes and public confidence in the judiciary.
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