A Federal High Court sitting in Abeokuta has affirmed Mr. Jimi Lawal as the authentic governorship candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) for the forthcoming Ogun State governorship election, bringing a significant legal victory in the party’s prolonged internal leadership dispute.
In a judgment delivered in Suit No. FHC/AB/CS/97/2026, Justice Abiodun Jordan Adeyemi held that the governorship primary election that produced Lawal complied with the provisions of the Electoral Act, the ADC Constitution and all relevant statutory requirements.
The court further ruled that the primary election was duly monitored by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and remained the only lawful governorship primary recognized under Nigerian law.
Justice Adeyemi consequently declared Lawal the authentic governorship candidate of the ADC in Ogun State and directed INEC to recognise him by including his name in the commission’s official records as the party’s flag bearer. The judgment effectively settles, at the Federal High Court level, months of legal contest arising from rival governorship primaries conducted by different factions within the party.
Reacting to the verdict, the Ogun State Chairman of the ADC, Otunba Femi Soluade, described the ruling as “a victory for democracy,” saying it had finally resolved the lingering dispute over the party’s governorship ticket.
Soluade urged members to embrace reconciliation rather than division, stressing that there should be “no victor and no vanquished.
According to him, the party will immediately begin rebuilding its structures and reconciling aggrieved members ahead of the governorship election, expressing confidence that the ADC is now better positioned to challenge the ruling party in Ogun State.
Speaking after the judgment, Lawal described the court’s decision as divine intervention after months of uncertainty surrounding the party’s primary election.
He maintained that he won the primary convincingly and appealed to all stakeholders, including his main challenger, Dr. Biodun Collins Ogundipe, to work together in the interest of the party.
Lawal said genuine reconciliation remains the only path toward presenting a formidable alternative in the forthcoming governorship election.
Despite the judgment, Dr. Biodun Collins Ogundipe rejected the court’s decision and announced plans to challenge it at the Court of Appeal.
In a statement issued shortly after the ruling, Ogundipe said he respected the judiciary but remained convinced that the evidence presented before the court supported his position.
He argued that a July 1, 2026 letter signed by the ADC National Legal Adviser, Prof. Oserheimen Osunbor, confirmed that Otunba Femi Soluade was no longer the Ogun State Chairman of the party when the governorship primary election was conducted.
According to Ogundipe, Soluade’s tenure had expired before the primary and he was not the substantive state chairman at the time, making the exercise invalid. He disclosed that both his legal team and the party’s national legal team are studying the judgment and will immediately begin the appeal process.
The legal dispute centres on the leadership status of the Ogun State chapter of the ADC at the time of the governorship primary. While the Federal High Court has affirmed Lawal’s candidacy, the matter now appears set for another round of litigation at the Court of Appeal.
