INEC said it acted in compliance with a judgment delivered by the Federal High Court in Abuja on July 22, 2026. 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 ballotThe 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.