Ogun APC Primary: INEC’s List Can’t Stop Court From Reviewing Disputed Nomination — Hunye
An All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship aspirant in Ogun State, Hon. Abayomi Semako Hunye, has declared that the publication of the final list of candidates by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) does not bar the judiciary from reviewing disputed party nominations.
Hunye stated this in a press release issued on Saturday by his media aide, Femi Oyewale, in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital.
According to the governorship hopeful, the publication of a candidate’s name by the electoral umpire is purely an administrative action that cannot override the jurisdiction of a competent court of law.
He noted that publishing a candidate’s particulars does not validate an otherwise unlawful primary election or nomination process.
“The publication of a candidate’s name is an administrative step in the electoral process and does not, by itself, amount to a judicial determination that every aspect of the candidate’s nomination or the party primary that produced the candidate was lawful,” Hunye said.
He stressed that the Electoral Act 2026 must be interpreted alongside the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and relevant judicial precedents.
Hunye cautioned political actors against misinterpreting specific sections of the electoral law to suggest that INEC’s final list confers immunity on disputed nominations.
Referring to key legal frameworks, he maintained that Section 33 and Section 88 of the Electoral Act 2026 must be applied in line with their true statutory intent rather than used as a shield against legal scrutiny.
“Section 33 of the Electoral Act 2026 must be considered within its proper statutory context, particularly regarding party primaries and the nomination process. The relevant provisions governing nomination, submission of candidates’ particulars, publication of the final list, and substitution must be interpreted together rather than in isolation,” he stated.
He added that the core issue in any electoral dispute is whether the party primary complied with the law and whether affected aspirants filed their challenges within the statutory timeframe.
The APC chieftain warned against confusing political party candidate uploads or INEC publications with judicial validation.
“Where a competent court establishes a legally recognised ground for intervention and grants appropriate relief, the parties concerned, including INEC, must comply with the court’s decision in accordance with the law,” Hunye affirmed.
While urging party faithful, stakeholders, and the public to respect the rule of law, Hunye reiterated his commitment to pursuing all legal remedies regarding the party’s nomination process.
“The governing principle is clear: administrative publication must not be confused with judicial determination, and no party should be considered above the law,” he concluded.
