El-Rufai’s Ally Wins ADC Governorship Ticket Battle In Ogun

A Federal High Court sitting in Abeokuta, Ogun State, on Thursday declared Otunba Jimi Adebisi Lawal as the authentic governorship candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) for the forthcoming governorship election in the state.

NEWSNGR reports that the judgment, delivered by Justice Abiodun Jordan Adeyemi, brought to an end the prolonged leadership and candidature dispute that had split the ADC into rival camps, with different aspirants laying claim to the party’s governorship ticket.

Lawal, a close associate of former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, secured the legal victory after the court held that the process which produced him complied with the Electoral Act and the constitution of the ADC.

The suit, marked FHC/AB/CS/97/2026, challenged the legitimacy of the governorship primary that produced competing candidates within the party.

Lawal and Dr Collins Ogundipe, an artificial intelligence expert, had both laid claim to the ADC governorship ticket following the disputed primary exercise.

In his judgment, Justice Adeyemi held that the primary election which produced Lawal was validly conducted and monitored by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

The court further ruled that the exercise complied with the relevant statutory requirements and remained the only lawful governorship primary recognised under the law.

Consequently, the judge declared Lawal the authentic governorship candidate of the ADC in Ogun State.

The court also directed INEC to recognise him and reflect his name in its official records as the party’s flag bearer for the election.

Reacting to the ruling, the Ogun State Chairman of the ADC, Femi Soluade, described the judgment as a victory for democracy and an opportunity for the party to put its internal divisions behind it.

Soluade expressed gratitude over the outcome and said the judgment had finally resolved the lingering controversy surrounding the party’s governorship ticket.

He urged members of the party to close ranks and work together ahead of the election.

Lawal, on his part, described the court’s decision as an act of divine intervention after months of uncertainty over the outcome of the party’s primary.

“Alhamdulillah. I am exceedingly grateful to Almighty God. Without God’s grace, nothing is possible. Today’s victory is by His grace,” he said.

The ADC candidate maintained that he won the primary convincingly but had endured months of anxiety after the result became disputed.

“I have had sleepless nights since May because I believed I had been cheated. I won on merit. It was not a close contest; it was a landslide. Yet, what was a landslide was turned into a minority,” Lawal said.

He also commended the judiciary for what he described as its commitment to the rule of law and the delivery of justice.