A Federal High Court in Lagos has nullified the Independent National Electoral Commission’s publication of Ibrahim Lukman as the Nigeria Democratic Congress candidate for Oshodi/Isolo Federal Constituency I in the 2027 general election, The PUNCH reports.
In a judgment delivered on October 20, Justice Akintayo Aluko ruled that Lukman did not participate in the party’s primary election and held that INEC acted in breach of the Electoral Act 2026 by publishing Lukman’s name despite monitoring the May 29 primary at which Olumuyiwa Owadara emerged winner.
The court subsequently ordered the commission to publish the name of the winner, Owadara.
The court set aside INEC’s August 1 publication of Lukman as the party’s candidate and ordered the commission to immediately publish Owadara’s name and particulars. It also awarded N1m in costs against INEC and Lukman.
The judgment turned on INEC’s own monitoring report, which the court said showed that Owadara “scored the highest number of lawful votes cast” at the primary.
The NDC also told the court that it conducted no other primary for the constituency and that Lukman did not participate in the exercise.
Despite this, INEC published Lukman’s name and particulars as the party’s candidate, leaving Owadara off the list.
Owadara told the court that he had completed his nomination forms and had them submitted to the commission.
