Party Ticket Dispute Centres on Allegations of Forgery and Perjury
INEC Says It Will Abide by Federal High Court Ruling
Hon. Kazeem Olanrewaju Sokunbi has firmly maintained that he remains the Action Democratic Party (ADP) governorship candidate for Ogun State in the 2027 general election, insisting that the dispute over the party’s ticket is still pending before the courts.
Sokunbi declared that the primary election which produced him was conducted in the full presence of officials of the law enforcement agencies, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the media. He argued that the presence of these bodies was central to the legitimacy of the process and his emergence as the party’s flag bearer.
His position comes amid a continuing controversy following the emergence of Dr Johncrownfit Kayode Anifowose, who has also been presented as the ADP’s governorship candidate in the state. Sokunbi rejected any suggestion that Anifowose is the recognised candidate, stressing that the matter cannot be regarded as settled until the Federal High Court delivers judgment in Suit No. FHC/AB/CS/134/2026.
According to him, the dispute raises serious allegations of forgery and perjury surrounding the circumstances of the candidacy. He maintained that such grave claims require judicial determination and should not be treated as resolved while the case remains pending.
Sokunbi reiterated that his claim rests on the primary election held under the watch of police and INEC officials, and that the outcome of the legal proceedings will be decisive in clarifying the status of the contending claims over the ADP ticket.
The suit, in which Sokunbi is the plaintiff, lists the ADP National Chairman, Engr. Yabaji Yusuf Sani, and INEC as defendants. INEC has acknowledged awareness of Sokunbi’s allegation that the party intended to substitute his name but stated that it was not in a position to confirm or deny the claim. The commission emphasised that it would comply with the Constitution, the Electoral Act and other applicable laws in respect of any nomination or substitution submitted by the ADP.
INEC further noted that it has no interest in the internal dispute between Sokunbi and the party and would abide by the decision of the court, describing itself as a nominal party in the proceedings.
