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From Priscilla Ediare, Ado-Ekiti
The candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the governorship election scheduled to hold on June 20, 2026, in Ekiti State, Dr Wole Oluyede, has condemned the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for excluding his name from the list of candidates for the election.
Recall that the commission had on Monday, 29 December 2025, released the list of the governorship candidates to participate in the election, excluding Oluyede’s name and the PDP from the list.
Addressing newsmen at his country home in Ikere-Ekiti, Oluyede described the development as surprising, noting that the 8 November 2025 primary election that produced him as the PDP’s candidate was conducted under the watchful eyes of officials of INEC.
He called the action an attempt to disenfranchise the people of Ekiti State and deny them the opportunity to choose their preferred candidate in the forthcoming election.
While querying the commission’s action, he disclosed that he would challenge the decision of the electoral body in court if his name is not included in due course.
He, however, urged party members and supporters across the state to remain calm and resolute, expressing optimism that the electoral umpire will do the needful and reverse its action.
“INEC witnessed the primary election that produced me as the winner. As an umpire, a referee should not decide which players feature for a particular team.
“I will defend our party with everything I have. The PDP is a large party, the largest in the country. While we lost elections in the past, the issues responsible for those losses have been addressed. The rotten elements have either left on their own or have been removed by the natural triumph of goodness.
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“Today, the PDP is united, solid and ready. I urge our members to remain calm and confident. I will contest the election, and by God’s grace, I will win. We will win the next election because I will fight this injustice with everything I have.”
He alleged that one of the prominent political parties was responsible for the exclusion of his name from the list.
“I am aware there are games and plans to frustrate our emergence, but I can assure you that I will be on the ballot in the next governorship election in Ekiti State.
“If you are confident that you have performed well, served your people diligently or possess the capacity to do so, then you should have the courage to subject yourself to an election. It is wrong to suppress or disenfranchise the rights of people who want to freely express their will.
“Any attempt to do so, under any condition, is unacceptable. Such actions amount to political injustice and should not be allowed. The people should protest against it because it has gone on for too long.
“I am aware of a political party where members were deliberately sidelined. That is sad and tragic. However, such injustice will not be allowed to stand.”
He urged Ekiti residents to remain law-abiding while calling on well-meaning citizens and stakeholders to prevail on INEC to correct what he described as an anomaly. He insisted that the electoral body should not succumb to alleged pressures from unnamed interests working behind the scenes.
“We call on Ekiti people to reject this announcement in strong terms and demand that INEC does the needful. If those in power have done well, they should not be afraid of my candidacy. Any attempt to use the backdoor to scuttle my mandate has failed from the outset.”
