The Federal High Court in Abuja has removed Mr. Timehin Adeleye as the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate for the Owo/Ose Federal Constituency in the 2027 House of Representatives election. The court ruled on Wednesday that Abdugani Arobo is the rightful candidate after finding that he won the party’s primary election held on May 16, 2026.
Justice Peter Lifu delivered the judgment after Arobo challenged the decision of the APC National Working Committee, which had submitted Adeleye’s name to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) despite disagreements that followed the party’s primary.
The dispute began after Adeleye’s name appeared on the list of candidates sent to INEC by the APC leadership. The decision sparked protests from several party members and leaders in Ondo State, with some insisting that the outcome of the primary election had not been properly reflected.
After reviewing the evidence presented by both sides, the court held that the APC did not make a lawful return from the primary election. It also found inconsistencies in the party’s evidence and ruled that Arobo secured the highest number of valid votes during the exercise.
Based on its findings, the court declared Arobo the valid winner of the APC primary for the Owo/Ose Federal Constituency and directed the party to recognise him as its only candidate for the 2027 general election.
The court also ordered INEC to reopen its nomination portal and upload Arobo’s name as the APC candidate for the constituency. In addition, it barred the APC and INEC from recognising or dealing with any other person as the party’s candidate for the seat.
The ruling settles the legal challenge over the APC ticket for the constituency and requires both the party and the electoral commission to comply with the court’s decision ahead of the 2027 general election.