PDP Breaks Silence, Unveils Next Move After INEC Drops Ekiti Governorship Candidate

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has announced plans to seek legal redress over the omission of its candidate from the list of contestants released by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for the 2026 Ekiti State governorship election.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

In a statement issued on Tuesday, the party accused INEC of exhibiting bias by excluding its flagbearer from the published list. The list, displayed on Monday at INEC’s headquarters in Ado-Ekiti, contains the names of governorship candidates and their deputies from 12 political parties cleared to participate in the election. However, the PDP’s candidate, Wole Oluyede, was notably missing.

Reacting to the development, the PDP’s National Publicity Secretary, Ini Ememobong, faulted the electoral body for what he described as a lack of caution and responsibility, stressing that Oluyede emerged from a primary election duly monitored by INEC. He further stated that there is no court order restraining the commission from recognising Oluyede as the party’s candidate.

The PDP urged INEC to uphold democratic principles and avoid actions that undermine the electoral process.

In its full statement, the party said the exclusion of its candidate “further confirms the biased disposition of the current INEC leadership against the PDP.” It maintained that INEC was formally notified of its governorship primaries, monitored the exercise, and issued reports confirming compliance with all relevant laws. The party added that INEC released nomination portal codes to the PDP, which were later blocked shortly before the submission deadline, forcing the party to submit documents manually—submissions it said were duly acknowledged.

According to the PDP, given the serious implications of excluding a validly nominated candidate, INEC should have taken the safest and most lawful step by including Oluyede’s name in the final list, particularly as there was no opposing submission or court order challenging his nomination. The party noted that INEC’s own monitoring report validates the primaries and nomination process.

The PDP disclosed that it has already initiated legal action to compel INEC to reverse the decision, while reminding the commission of Nigerians’ expectations that it remain independent, impartial, and neutral. The party warned that actions perceived as antagonistic to democracy could ultimately undermine the credibility of the electoral umpire, stressing that INEC must always act in defence of democracy rather than against it.