2026 Ekiti Guber: Court Sacks PDP Candidate Wole Oluyede, Orders New Primaries

A Federal High Court in Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State, has sacked Dr. Wole Oluyede as the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) gubernatorial candidate and ordered the party to hold fresh primaries.

Justice Babs Kuewumi ruled in favor of Prince Funso Ayeni, who had challenged the primaries, citing irregularities including manipulation of the approved delegate list, which he argued undermined fairness and transparency.

The court said the violations of party rules and electoral guidelines during the primaries were serious enough to be inconsistent with both the PDP constitution and the Nigerian Constitution.

Reacting to the development, PDP’s South-West zonal Publicity Secretary, Sanya Atofarati, said the party has the right to appeal the ruling and expressed confidence that its legal team will act quickly.

He also assured that the court decision will not disrupt the party’s preparations for the June 20 governorship election.

Atofarati described the legal challenge as a deliberate attempt to undermine the party and its candidate, noting that the primaries were deemed free and fair by INEC monitors.

He added that the PDP remains focused on mobilizing grassroots support across all 16 local government areas of Ekiti State.

He said, “It will appear like a setback going to the fact that by now, people are resolved to change the government in the state because of the underperformance of the current administration.

“So, looking at other alternatives, Ekiti people have been able to say that the People’s Democratic Party is the only political party that has been tested and is trusted.

“And they are looking inward to look at what PDP, the caliber of candidates the People’s Democratic Party will nominate in the election. And the party in its result, after a thorough process of party primaries, the delegates in the primaries, elected Dr. Wole Oluyede as the candidate.

“And that being said, some aggrieved members or aspirants of the party went to court to ask the court to nullify the process of the primaries.

“One of the aspirants willfully withdrew her own petition while it was left. The party was left with one aspirant. So now the aspirant is asking the court to give judgment to declare the process nullified.

“Now the court has answered that, and the process was being said to have been nullified, but the truth is. It is the first leg of the judicial process, which means the party has the right to appeal this judgment, and I believe the party’s legal team is looking into that and will react appropriately.

“However, Ekiti people need to understand the level of conspiracy against the choice of the People’s Democratic Party and its candidates in this 2026 election. We must continue to remain resolute.

“We are not going to be distracted. The campaign committee was inaugurated yesterday, and they are already in motion. So people should expect that we are not relenting and they should be aware that our members have commenced the mobilisation drive from unit to unit, ward to ward, and across the 16 local governments of Ekiti state.”

KanyiDaily recalls that the All Progressives Congress (APC) confirmed Governor Biodun Oyebanji as its consensus candidate for the 2026 governorship election in Ekiti.