Ekiti State Governor: PDP Welcomes Court Ruling Directing INEC to Acknowledge Oluyede

The Peoples Democratic Party has welcomed a Federal High Court ruling in Abuja, which ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission to recognize Oluwole Oluyede as the party's governorship candidate in Ekiti State.

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This development comes as a significant boost to the party's chances in the Ekiti Governorship election, according to PDP National Publicity Secretary, Ini Ememobong, who commented on the ruling in a statement on Friday.

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Despite the election being scheduled for July 20, the PDP had been embroiled in an internal crisis, with INEC previously rejecting Oluyede as the party's governorship candidate due to non-compliance with the Electoral Act.

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The party, led by Tanimu Turaki, SAN, had challenged this decision in court, and on Friday, the Court ordered INEC to include Oluyede's name and the party's logo on the ballot and barred the commission from excluding him from election-related activities.

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The judgment, delivered by Honourable Justice Umar, granted all the reliefs sought by Dr. Oluwole Oluyede and the Peoples Democratic Party in the suit FHC/ABJ/CS/40/2026 against INEC, specifically directing the Commission to recognize Oluyede as the candidate and include his name on the list of candidates.

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The court also ordered INEC to include the party's logo on the ballot for the Ekiti Governorship elections and granted an order of perpetual injunction preventing the Commission from further rejecting or excluding Oluyede from activities related to the forthcoming governorship elections in Ekiti State.

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Dr. Oluwole Oluyede had been presented with a certificate of return by the National Chairman of the Party, Kabiru Turaki, SAN, as the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party for the 2026 Governorship elections in Ekiti, but INEC, under the leadership of Prof. Joash Amupitan, SAN, had refused to include his name on the list of candidates.

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The party has welcomed the judgment, viewing it as a confirmation of the reality in Ekiti and an affirmation that justice has been served, while also cautioning INEC to act within the confines of the law and refrain from partisanship.

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Furthermore, the party has reminded INEC of several judgments that prohibit the Commission from excluding lawfully nominated candidates, as in the instant case, and warned against repeating the historic negative roles that past electoral commissions played in the collapse of democracy in previous republics.

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On January 30, a Federal High Court in Ibadan had nullified the PDP National Convention held on November 15, 2025, in Ibadan, Oyo State, and ordered Turaki and others to stop presenting themselves as national officers of the party.

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PDP governors had previously endorsed the Ibadan Convention, which produced Turaki and members of the National Working Committee for a four-year term, and had overseen the transition from former Chairman Umar Damagum to Turaki before Damagum's tenure ended on December 9.

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A faction loyal to Minister of Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, had established a 13-member caretaker committee on December 8, appointing Mohammed Abdulrahman as Acting National Chairman and Samuel Anyanwu as Acting Secretary, among others, with a 60-day mandate.

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Attempts by both the Wike-aligned faction and the governors' camp to hold meetings at Wadata Plaza on November 18, 2025, had descended into chaos, resulting in disorder and physical confrontations, leading to the police sealing the PDP National Secretariat, which has remained closed since.

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Both factions had sought recognition from INEC, but the commission declined to recognize either group, leading to prolonged legal disputes as the 2027 general elections approached.

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Amid the crisis, the Wike-backed caretaker committee announced on February 3 that a fresh National Convention to elect new PDP leaders would take place in Abuja from March 29 to 30.

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On February 12, the Court of Appeal heard all consolidated suits related to the PDP leadership crisis and reserved judgment, with the date for the ruling to be communicated to the parties.

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In a recent interview, Wike's faction stated that it had notified INEC of its plans and would proceed with the Abuja convention on March 29 and 30 to elect new party leaders.