A Federal High Court sitting in Lagos has adjourned to July 9, 2026, a high-stakes suit challenging the integrity of academic and personal records submitted by Ogun State Governor, Dapo Abiodun, in multiple election cycles.
The case, filed by Human Global Resource Initiative and Human Rights Monitoring Agenda alongside Comrade Buna Olaitan Isiak, is before Justice Justice Aneke under Suit No: FHC/L/CS/2026. It names several respondents, including the Department of State Services (DSS), Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), and major political parties such as the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), All Progressives Congress (APC), African Democratic Congress (ADC), and Labour Party.
At the core of the litigation are allegations of false declarations and inconsistencies in the governor’s educational and personal records submitted to INEC ahead of the 2014, 2019, and 2023 general elections.
The applicants are asking the court to determine the veracity of an oath sworn by Abiodun on December 15, 2014, in which he declared attendance at University of Ife in 1986 and Kennesaw State University in 1989. They contend that these claims require judicial verification.
Further scrutiny has been drawn to discrepancies in his primary school records. While one declaration lists International Primary School, Ayetoro (1971), another entry in INEC Form CF001 reportedly cites a different institution, raising questions about consistency across official filings.
The suit also challenges what the plaintiffs describe as “material contradictions, inconsistencies, and concealments” in Abiodun’s INEC forms dated December 15, 2014; December 15, 2018; and June 30, 2022. They are seeking a determination on whether such discrepancies amount to false declaration under the 1999 Constitution.
Additionally, the applicants question Abiodun’s compliance with the mandatory National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) scheme. They argue that, having declared graduation in 1986 at age 26, participation in the programme should have followed as a statutory requirement.
A more serious allegation involves the claimed non-disclosure of an alleged 1986 indictment and imprisonment, referenced in court filings as Exhibit HURMA-7. The plaintiffs argue that failure to declare this in INEC Form CF001 submissions constitutes material concealment under Sections 66(1)(i) and 182(1)(j) of the Constitution.
Lead counsel to the plaintiffs, Professor Yemi Oke (SAN), clarified that the suit seeks judicial interpretation of constitutional and electoral provisions governing false declarations in INEC documentation.
According to him, the action is not targeted at any individual but aims to establish legal clarity on whether candidates who allegedly submit false information under oath are eligible to contest elections. He added that existing Supreme Court precedents already recognise false declaration as grounds for disqualification.
Oke also dismissed arguments that the case is barred by gubernatorial immunity, maintaining that the proceedings, initiated via originating summons, are strictly interpretative and do not seek to enforce criminal liability.
Human Rights Monitoring Agenda’s Executive Director, Comrade Buna Olaitan Isiak, framed the suit as part of a broader effort to enforce accountability and ethical standards in Nigeria’s political system.
Similarly, Comrade Adewale Ojo of the Committee for the Defence of Human Rights (CDHR), Lagos chapter, emphasised that the objective is to safeguard due process and prevent the erosion of electoral integrity through questionable candidate disclosures.
The matter is expected to proceed to definite hearing on July 9, with all respondents directed to file their counter-affidavits and formally enter appearances.