Ado-Ekiti, Nigeria — The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has released the official list of candidates cleared to contest the Ekiti State governorship election scheduled for June 20, 2026, conspicuously excluding the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Dr. Wole Oluyede, despite his emergence as winner of the party’s primary election.
The list, pasted on Monday at the INEC office in Ado-Ekiti, contains the names of governorship candidates and their running mates from 12 political parties that met the commission’s requirements ahead of the poll.
According to the published list, the cleared candidates include Opeyemi Falegan of the Accord Party; Akande Oluwasegun of the African Action Congress (AAC); Ayodeji Ojo of the Action Democratic Party (ADP); Oluwadare Bejide of the African Democratic Congress (ADC); and Biodun Oyebanji of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Others are Bidemi Awogbemi of the Action People’s Party (APP); Joseph Anifowose of the Allied People’s Movement (APM); Oyebanji Olajuyin of the Labour Party (LP); Blessing Abegunde of the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP); Olaniyi Ayodele of the People’s Redemption Party (PRP); Owoola Daramola of the Young Progressive Party (YPP); and Victor Adetunji of the Zenith Labour Party (ZLP).
However, Oluyede, the PDP’s governorship candidate, was missing from the list, a development that has once again brought the party’s lingering internal crisis to the fore.
Dr. Oluyede, a medical practitioner, emerged winner of the PDP governorship primary conducted in November 2025by a faction of the party’s National Working Committee (NWC) backed by Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde. He secured 279 votes, defeating his closest rival, Funso Ayeni, who polled 239 votes.
INEC’s decision to exclude the PDP candidate is linked to the unresolved leadership tussle within the opposition party, which has split it into rival factions. One bloc is aligned with Governors Seyi Makinde of Oyo State and Bala Mohammed of Bauchi State, while the other faction remains loyal to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike.
The electoral body had last week declined to recognise the PDP national leadership chaired by Kabiru Turaki, which is supported by the Makinde–Mohammed bloc. INEC cited multiple court judgements and stated that it would not update its records to reflect any changes in the PDP’s national leadership until all legal disputes arising from the party’s controversial national convention held in Ibadan, Oyo State, in November are fully resolved.
Political observers say the exclusion of the PDP candidate could significantly reshape the dynamics of the Ekiti governorship race, especially given the party’s historical influence in the state. With the election less than six months away, uncertainty continues to surround the PDP’s participation unless the internal crisis is resolved and INEC’s conditions are met within the statutory timeframe.
As of the time of filing this report, the PDP has yet to issue an official response to INEC’s action.
Babatunde Akinsola ✔
Babatunde Akinsola is aNaija247news' Southwest editor. He's based in Lagos and writes on the Yoruba Nation political issues, news and investigative reports
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