INEC Finally Adds Powerful Politician to Osun Guber Race

• INEC announced it was adding the SDP's Francis Ajala and his running mate to the Osun governorship ballot
• The electoral commission said a Federal High Court judgment in Abuja on July 22, 2026, compelled the decision
• The court ruling came from a suit filed by the SDP and Ajala directly against INEC

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has cleared Social Democratic Party (SDP) candidate Francis Ajala and his running mate, Faseke Oladipo, to contest the Osun State governorship election after a court ordered their inclusion on the ballot.

INEC said it acted in compliance with a judgment delivered by the Federal High Court in Abuja on July 22, 2026. The ruling came from Suit No. FHC/ABJ/CS/344/2026, a case in which the SDP and Ajala were the plaintiffs and INEC was the defendant.

Court forces INEC's hand on Osun ballot

The commission said the court's directive left it no choice but to restore the SDP ticket to the list of candidates cleared for the election. Prior to the judgment, Ajala and his running mate had not featured on the ballot, a situation that prompted the party to seek legal redress in Abuja.

The Federal High Court's decision effectively overturned whatever administrative or procedural grounds INEC had used to exclude the candidates, compelling the commission to reinstate them ahead of the Osun governorship poll.

With Ajala and Oladipo now formally on the ballot, the SDP will compete alongside other parties in the Osun State governorship election, adding another contender to what was already a contested race in the state.

See INEC's full statement on X here:

Factors that will decide Osun election outcome

Legit.ng earlier reported that over 2.3 million registered voters in Osun State will choose among 14 candidates on Saturday, with three names dominating the race.

Incumbent governor Ademola Adeleke faces pressure from APC's Bola Oyebamiji and ADC's Najeem Salam in what analysts say will be a tight contest.

From vote-buying fears and the Osogbo governorship agenda to Davido's campaign influence, several forces could swing the outcome either way.