Ekiti 2026: Court voids PDP primaries, orders rerun

A Federal High Court sitting in Ado Ekiti has nullified the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship primary conducted on November 8 and directed the party to hold a fresh exercise to select its candidate for the 2026 Ekiti governorship election.

Justice Babs Kuewumi gave the ruling on Tuesday after upholding a suit filed by one of the aspirants, Funso Ayeni, who challenged the credibility of the primary that produced Dr Wole Oluyede as the PDP candidate.

Ayeni, through his lawyer, Kola Kolade (SAN), argued that the party violated its constitution, guidelines, and the Electoral Act by failing to present the original and authentic list of statutory and ad hoc delegates used for the primary election. He contended that this omission amounted to a fundamental breach capable of invalidating the entire exercise.
In his judgment, Justice Kuewumi held that the PDP primary did not comply with the provisions of the law and the party’s constitution.

He consequently nullified the exercise and ordered the PDP, in collaboration with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), to conduct a fresh governorship primary in strict adherence to legal and party guidelines.

The court further directed that all qualified aspirants be allowed to participate in the rerun primary to promote transparency, fairness, and internal democracy within the party.
Reacting to the verdict, counsel to Dr Oluyede, Owoseni Ajayi, expressed dissatisfaction with the ruling, stating that his client would appeal the judgment and apply for a stay of execution.

Meanwhile, Oluyede’s name was omitted from the list of governorship candidates released by INEC on December 29 ahead of the June 20 election. He has since vowed to challenge the exclusion and explore all legal options to secure his participation in the poll.