‘APC using propaganda over Iyabo Obasanjo’s eligibility’ — PDP

The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has accused the All Progressives Congress, APC, of spreading misinformation over the eligibility of Senator Iyabo Obasanjo to contest the 2027 Ogun Central Senatorial election.

The allegation was made by the PDP House of Assembly candidate for Abeokuta South Constituency II, Adeoye Adewale Adeniran, in a statement made available to journalists in Abeokuta.

Adeniran said reports claiming that the Supreme Court had disqualified Obasanjo from contesting the election were misleading and politically motivated.

He argued that the Supreme Court judgment being cited in support of the claim neither mentioned Obasanjo nor contained any order barring her from contesting the election.

The controversy followed the Supreme Court’s September 24, 2026, judgment in a case involving the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, and the Zenith Labour Party, ZLP, over provisions of the Electoral Act 2026.

The apex court upheld the validity of the disputed provisions and set aside an earlier Court of Appeal judgment that had voided them.

The provisions in contention included Sections 77(5), 77(6), 77(7) and 84(2), which relate mainly to party membership registers and methods of candidate nomination.

Adeniran said the judgment did not name Obasanjo or issue any order disqualifying her from participating in the 2027 Ogun Central Senatorial election.

“The attempt to present that judgment as an automatic disqualification of Senator Prof. Iyabo Obasanjo from the 2027 Ogun Central Senatorial election is factually unsupported, legally speculative and clearly designed to create confusion where none exists,” he said.

He noted that the case before the Supreme Court arose from a dispute between INEC and a political party, adding that Obasanjo was not a party to the proceedings.

“It is therefore mischievous and intellectually dishonest to transform a judgment in a dispute between INEC and a political party into a purported judicial pronouncement against a particular candidate who was neither a party to the suit nor the subject of the judgment,” Adeniran stated.

He challenged those circulating the alleged disqualification to identify the specific portion of the judgment that mentions Obasanjo or contains an order preventing her from contesting.

“What exists is a Supreme Court judgment on the constitutionality and operation of specified provisions of the Electoral Act 2026. This, however, has nothing to do with our candidate, who has never ceased to be a member of the PDP.

“What does not exist is a Supreme Court judgment disqualifying Senator Iyabo Obasanjo,” he said.