EKITI GUBER POLL ROCKED BY CONTROVERSY: PDP STORMS INEC OFFICE OVER ‘MYSTERIOUS’ DELISTING OF OLUYEDE

Ekiti State was on edge on Tuesday as supporters of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) staged a peaceful but charged protest at the Ekiti State office of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Ado-Ekiti, following the sudden exclusion of the party’s governorship candidate, Dr Wole Oluyede, from INEC’s official portal.
Chanting solidarity songs and wielding placards, the protesters accused the electoral umpire of acting without transparency, describing the delisting of Oluyede as “unjustified, unexplained and capable of undermining public confidence” in the 2026 Ekiti governorship election.
The demonstrators warned that the action had thrown the PDP family across the state into anxiety and suspicion, insisting that INEC owed the party and the electorate a clear and public explanation.
Addressing the crowd, the Chairman of the Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC) in Ekiti State, Mr Owoola Daramola, alongside prominent PDP stakeholder, Mr Deji Ogunsakin, demanded immediate clarification from INEC, stressing that the integrity of the electoral process must not be compromised.
They maintained that Dr Oluyede’s emergence as PDP candidate was conducted openly and under INEC supervision, adding that any contrary action without explanation amounted to a breach of due process.
“Our members and supporters deserve to know why a candidate duly produced through a monitored primary has suddenly vanished from the INEC portal,” the leaders declared.
Responding on behalf of the commission, the Head of INEC’s Legal Department in Ekiti State, Mr Tunde Salako, distanced the state office from the controversy, stating that only INEC headquarters in Abuja had the authority to explain the circumstances surrounding Dr Oluyede’s exclusion.
He told the protesters that the Ekiti office merely implements directives from the national headquarters and could not provide details on the matter.
The controversy has continued to gather momentum after Dr Oluyede himself publicly faulted INEC’s action, describing his omission from the candidate list as shocking and inexplicable.
“It came as a surprise to me,” Oluyede said in a statement. “INEC supervised the primary, documented it, and even swore affidavits in court affirming that the primary held and that I emerged as the candidate. I am not aware of any reason whatsoever that should preclude me from contesting this election.”
Dr Oluyede was declared PDP governorship flagbearer following a primary election conducted by the National Working Committee led by Mr Tanimu Turaki (SAN), a faction loyal to Governors Seyi Makinde of Oyo, Bala Mohammed of Bauchi, Dauda Lawal of Zamfara, and Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri of Adamawa.
Turaki emerged as PDP leader after the party’s controversial November 2025 national convention held in Ibadan, Oyo State—a development that has continued to fuel internal party tensions.
As pressure mounts on INEC headquarters to break its silence, political observers warn that failure to swiftly and transparently address the issue could escalate tensions and cast a shadow over the credibility of the forthcoming Ekiti governorship election.