Justice Ladiran Akintola of the Oyo State High Court in Ibadan has struck out the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from a lawsuit challenging the eligibility and conduct of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) elective convention held in Ibadan.
At the previous hearing, INEC’s counsel, Mr O. Adeyemi, argued that the court lacked jurisdiction to hear the case.
He stated that since INEC is a Federal Government agency, it can only be sued in the Federal High Court, not a State High Court.
Based on this, INEC requested the court to remove its name from the lawsuit.
Justice Akintola agreed with the argument and removed INEC as a defendant, noting the commission’s status as a federal agency outside the State High Court’s jurisdiction. However, the judge maintained the inclusion of the other defendants, including the party’s acting chairman, Damagun.
The case was then adjourned to January 26, 2026, for further proceedings.
Speaking on the sidelines, counsel for the claimant, Musbau Adetunmbi (SAN), confirmed INEC’s removal following its jurisdictional objection.
He added that the court retains jurisdiction over the remaining defendants: the PDP, PDP member Folahan Malomo, and the PDP zonal committee chairman, Governor Ahmadu Fintiri.
Meanwhile, PDP’s legal adviser in Oyo State, Dapo Durosharan, noted that although INEC has been removed, the case will proceed against the other defendants on the new hearing date.
Durosharan stated that the party’s legal team will decide on the next course of action after further review.
