The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has excluded Wole Oluyede, candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), from the list of candidates for the
the June 20, 2026, governorship election in Ekiti State.
The list, which was released on Monday at the INEC headquarters in Ado-Ekiti, the state capital, includes names of candidates and running mates of 12 political parties.
Those on the list are Opeyemi Falegan (Accord Party), Akande Oluwasegun (African Action Congress), Ayodeji Ojo (Action Democratic Party), Oluwadare Bejide (African Democratic Congress), Biodun Oyebanji (All Progressives Congress), and Bidemi Awogbemi (Action People’s Party).
Others are Joseph Anifowose (Allied People’s Movement), Oyebanji Olajuyin (Labour Party), Blessing Abegunde (New Nigeria People Party), Olaniyi Ayodele (People’s Redemption Party), Owoola Daramola (Young Progressive Party), and Victor Adetunji (Zenith Labour Party).
However, Oluyede, a medical expert, was missing from the list.
He secured 279 votes to defeat Funso Ayeni, his closest challenger, who received 239. The election was conducted by the PDP national working committee (NWC) backed by Seyi Makinde, governor of Oyo.
The PDP has been grappling with a leadership crisis, which has polarised the party into factions– one camp backed by Makinde and Bala Mohammed, his Bauchi counterpart, and another by Nyesom Wike, minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
Last week, INEC rejected a request to recognise the NWC chaired by Kabiru Turaki, which has the backing of Makinde and Mohammed.
The electoral umpire cited multiple court judgements for its decision, noting that it would not update its records to reflect any change in the opposition party’s national leadership pending the resolution of ongoing cases challenging the national convention held in Ibadan, Oyo state capital, in November.
