Oyo SDP crisis deepens as Oladele sues party and INEC governorship candidate for 2027

A governorship aspirant of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) in Oyo State, Chief Saheed Oladele, has initiated legal action against the party and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for the nomination of another candidate ahead of the 2027 Oyo State governorship elections.

Oladele, who describes himself as the only aspirant who obtained the party’s expression of interest and nomination forms within the stipulated deadline, filed the case before the Federal High Court in Ibadan.

The suit was filed on his behalf by his lawyer, Akinlolu Oyebamiji, challenging the SDP leadership’s decision to submit Michael Okunlade’s name to INEC as the party’s consensus candidate for governor.

In court documents, Oladele said the process that led to Okunlade’s emergence did not follow the requirements of the Electoral Act 2026 and the party’s nomination procedures.

The plaintiff alleged that Okunlade, who currently serves as the SDP Oyo State Chairman, did not obtain the necessary documents for the appointment before the deadline set by INEC.

According to Oladele’s legal team, the nomination process was flawed because no formal withdrawal or consent was obtained from him before another candidate’s name was forwarded to the electoral commission.

“The appointment of candidates must follow established legal procedures. In this case, the required steps were not followed,” Oyebamiji said in the court filing.

The aspirant is asking the Federal High Court to invalidate the recognition of Okunlade as the consensus candidate of the SDP for the Oyo governorship race.

He is also seeking an order restraining Okunlade from standing as the party’s candidate for the 2027 elections.

Among other measures sought by the plaintiff is an order restraining INEC and the national leadership of the Social Democratic Party from recognizing Okunlade as the legitimate candidate of the party.

Oladele is also asking the court to order the SDP and INEC to recognize him as the party’s governorship candidate and upload his details to the commission’s candidate management portal.

The court has not yet announced a date for hearing the appeal.

The legal dispute adds another dimension to preparations for the 2027 governorship election in Oyo State, where political parties are already positioning candidates and building structures ahead of the polls.

Basic information

The Social Democratic Party (SDP) is one of the registered political parties in Nigeria that participates in national and state elections.

Oyo State, located in the southwestern region of Nigeria, has historically been a politically competitive state with major contests involving parties such as the All Progressives Congress (APC), Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and SDP.

Ahead of the 2027 elections, political parties have started selecting candidates, building alliances and strengthening grassroots structures.

Disputes over candidate nominations are common during election cycles, with courts often determining whether parties have followed constitutional, statutory and electoral guidelines