The governorship candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) in Oyo State, Olusegun Agboola, has instituted a legal action against the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) over the omission of his name from the list of candidates for the 2027 governorship election.
Agboola filed the suit before the Federal High Court in Abuja, seeking an order compelling the electoral commission to recognise him as the SDP governorship candidate and include his name in its published list.
The candidate accused INEC of excluding him despite fulfilling the necessary requirements to participate in the election.
He described the omission as illegal, unexplained and politically motivated, alleging that certain political interests could be working behind the development.
In a statement issued on Thursday, Agboola expressed disappointment over the commission’s decision, questioning why his name was missing from the list despite his qualification to contest under the SDP platform.
He said the development was particularly troubling because other candidates were included in the published list while his name was left out without any official explanation.
Agboola said, “The illegal and unexplainable omission of my name from the latest INEC published list as the SDP governorship candidate for Oyo State is perplexing.
“Of all qualified candidates, my name was singled out and omitted from the published list without any reason from INEC.”
The SDP candidate maintained that he had complied with the relevant procedures required to emerge as the party’s flagbearer.
He questioned why the commission had failed to reflect his candidacy in its records despite what he described as his fulfilment of the electoral requirements.
He further alleged that the development might not be an administrative mistake, suggesting that some politicians outside his party could be interested in weakening the SDP’s position ahead of the 2027 election.
According to him, the party’s political agenda and positions on issues affecting Oyo State may have unsettled individuals in rival political parties.
Agboola said, “I have been told that some people from other popular parties are behind it. They are not comfortable with all we stand for, so they want to use INEC to diminish our campaign and suppress all our efforts.”
Although he did not identify the individuals or political parties allegedly involved, he insisted that the circumstances surrounding his exclusion raised serious concerns about the treatment of opposition candidates.
The governorship hopeful said he had decided to approach the court because he wanted the matter addressed before the election process advanced further.
He expressed confidence that the judiciary would intervene and compel INEC to correct what he described as an unjustifiable omission.
Agboola said, “We have followed due process and the court will soon mandate INEC to include our names, but why is that necessary?”
He also questioned the need for a candidate who had allegedly fulfilled all the necessary conditions to resort to litigation before being recognised by the electoral commission.
The SDP candidate warned that leaving the matter unresolved could create unnecessary controversy around the preparation for the 2027 governorship election in Oyo State.
He alleged that some political interests were prepared to employ different tactics to influence the electoral process and undermine the participation of candidates they considered threats to their political ambitions.
Agboola said, “Some people want to use every means possible to doctor the outcome. This is sad for our democracy and shows the integrity of the umpire is damaged if this anomaly is not loudly corrected with a very public announcement from the INEC chairman,” he added.
He called on the electoral commission to address the situation publicly and explain the circumstances that led to his exclusion from the published list.
The SDP candidate maintained that INEC, as the statutory body responsible for conducting elections and regulating the process, must ensure that all qualified political parties and candidates receive fair treatment.
He argued that the credibility of an election depends not only on the conduct of voting but also on the transparency of the processes leading to the election.
According to Agboola, the omission of a candidate’s name without an adequate explanation could create doubts about the fairness of the process, particularly when the affected individual insists that all prescribed procedures have been followed.
Beyond the legal dispute, Agboola also used the opportunity to highlight some of the challenges facing Oyo State, insisting that the 2027 governorship election should provide an opportunity for residents to consider practical solutions to the state’s problems.
He identified unemployment, insecurity, inadequate infrastructure and other socio-economic difficulties as issues requiring urgent attention.
The SDP candidate argued that the challenges could not be addressed through temporary interventions or promises made during election campaigns.
He maintained that the state needed deliberate and sustainable policies capable of producing long-term improvements in the lives of residents.
Agboola said tackling unemployment would require a more systematic approach to economic development, while addressing insecurity would involve sustained efforts to strengthen safety and protect communities across the state.
He also emphasised the need for improved infrastructure and policies that would address the economic difficulties confronting residents.
