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

The judgment, delivered by Justice Abiodun Adeyemi, resolved the protracted leadership and candidature dispute that had divided the party into rival factions, each laying claim to the governorship ticket.

Lawal, a close associate of former Kaduna State Governor, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, secured the legal victory after the court held that his emergence as the party’s candidate complied with the provisions of the Electoral Act and the ADC constitution.

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

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

The court held that the exercise complied with all statutory requirements and remained the only lawful governorship primary recognised under the law.

Consequently, the court declared Lawal the authentic governorship candidate of the ADC in Ogun State and directed INEC to accord him full recognition by reflecting his name in its official records as the party’s flag bearer.

Reacting to the judgment, the Ogun State Chairman of the ADC, Femi Soluade, described the ruling as a victory for democracy and an opportunity to unite the party ahead of the governorship election.

“For us, the soul of the party is what is most important. We have decided that there will be no victor and no vanquished. We must be magnanimous in victory because those on the other side remain our brothers and sisters.”

He said the party would immediately begin efforts to reconcile aggrieved members and strengthen its structures ahead of the election.

Also speaking after the judgment, Lawal described the verdict as an act of divine intervention following months of uncertainty over the party’s primary election, maintaining that he had won the primary election convincingly but endured months of anxiety over the dispute.

“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.”

He commended the judiciary for upholding the rule of law and extended an olive branch to his main challenger, Biodun Collins Ogundipe, saying he remained willing to work with all stakeholders in the interest of the party and Ogun State.

“This victory belongs to all of us in the ADC. We need a united family because we have a formidable ruling party to confront. We cannot afford to remain divided.

“I have reached out to Dr. Ogundipe before, during, and after the primary. I remain ready to work with him. I bring experience, while he brings the energy of youth. Together, we can move the ADC forward.”

Lawal added that genuine reconciliation remained the only path to presenting a formidable alternative to the ruling party in the forthcoming election.

Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State has declared that he has nothing to hide regarding the finances of the state.

Makinde made the declaration while reacting to a statement issued by the Oyo State chapter of the All Progressives Congress, APC.

DAILY POST gathered that a Federal High Court sitting in Ibadan had on Wednesday declared that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has no power to investigate the finances of the current administration in the state.

The APC, in a statement signed by its Publicity Secretary, Wasiu Sadare, on Thursday, said the EFCC would do its job at the appropriate time.

Sadare, in the statement issued on behalf of the APC, condemned the court judgment.

But Makinde, in his reaction, said he has nothing to hide.

Makinde, in a statement signed by his Special Adviser on Media, Dr Sulaimon Olanrewaju, noted that he has managed the resources of the state well.

He said the decision of his administration to approach the court for clarification on the EFCC’s demand for copies of all contracts and details of transactions with contractors between 2021 and 2025 was not an attempt to forestall an investigation.

He said the APC’s claim that Makinde’s decision to seek judicial intervention amounts to avoiding investigation is misleading.

Makinde said in the statement: “The decision of the Oyo State Government to approach the Federal High Court for clarification on the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission’s (EFCC) demand for copies of all contracts and details of transactions with contractors between 2021 and 2025 is not an attempt to forestall investigation because neither the state government nor Governor Seyi Makinde has anything to hide.

“The APC’s claim that Governor Makinde’s decision to seek judicial intervention amounts to avoiding investigation is both misleading and legally unfounded. Resorting to the courts is not an admission of guilt but a constitutional right guaranteed under Nigerian law.”

The Interim National Working Committee (INWC) Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Tanimu Turaki, SAN, has declared that no individual or group can destroy the party.

He insisted that the PDP would participate in all the 2027 general elections despite its ongoing leadership crisis.

Turaki made the declaration on Thursday during a stakeholders’ meeting of the party in Abuja, where leaders gathered to review the recent court judgment secured by the PDP Board of Trustees and discuss the party’s political and legal strategy.

He assured members that the PDP remained strong and would overcome its current challenges.

Turaki declared that no individual or group could destroy the PDP, insisting that the party would continue to exist and remain a strong political force.

He also assured members that the PDP would field candidates in all categories of the 2027 general elections, from the presidential contest to State Houses of Assembly polls.

Turaki compared the party’s current leadership crisis to the 2016 dispute that led to the formation of the Ahmed Makarfi-led caretaker committee, saying the PDP survived that difficult period and would do so again.

“Compared to the crisis the PDP faced in the past, what we are experiencing today is minor. By God’s grace, we will overcome it. We called this meeting to carefully review the recent court judgment and agree on a common position. We did not issue an immediate response because some members of the interim working committee were away when the judgment was delivered,” he said.

The senior lawyer also blamed the challenges facing many opposition parties on the actions of those in power, arguing that the ruling party appeared to benefit whenever opposition parties were thrown into crisis.

Former Niger State Governor and Secretary of the PDP Board of Trustees, Dr Babangida Aliyu, also urged members not to lose hope, saying difficult times often reveal the true strength of an organisation.