A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has sacked Timehin Adeleye as the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate for the Owo/Ose Federal Constituency seat in Ondo State, ruling that Abdugani Arobo is the party’s rightful candidate for the 2027 House of Representatives election.
Justice Peter Lifu delivered the judgment on Wednesday in a suit Arobo filed against the APC and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) after the party forwarded Adeleye’s name to INEC as its candidate.
The APC National Working Committee had submitted Adeleye’s name despite objections from several party members and leaders in Ondo State, prompting Arobo to head to court.
Justice Lifu held that the APC failed to make a lawful return from its primary election and found the party’s evidence riddled with contradictions. The court ruled that Arobo won the highest number of lawful votes at the APC primary held on May 16, 2026, polling 7,959 votes in Owo Local Government Area and 2,583 votes in Ose Local Government Area to emerge as the valid winner.
The court declared Arobo the only aspirant whose name can lawfully be submitted to INEC as the APC’s candidate for the constituency in next year’s general election. It ordered the party to accept, recognise, and deal exclusively with Arobo as the winner of its House of Representatives primary, and barred the APC from dealing with any other person as its candidate for the seat.
Justice Lifu also directed INEC to reopen its nomination portal to allow the APC to upload Arobo’s name as its duly nominated candidate for the Owo/Ose Federal Constituency ahead of the 2027 election.
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