By Ayomide Otitoju
A Federal High Court sitting in Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State, has nullified the emergence of Dr. Wole Oluyede as the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the 2026 election and ordered a rerun of the party’s primary.
In a judgment delivered by Justice Babs Kuewumi, the court upheld claims of irregularities raised by one of the aspirants, Prince Funso Ayeni, who challenged the conduct of the primary election.
Ayeni had approached the court, alleging manipulation of the approved delegate list on the day of the exercise, a development he argued compromised transparency, internal democracy and fairness in the process.
Justice Kuewumi held that the exercise was characterised by gross abuse of process, disregard for the party’s electoral guidelines and violations of the fundamental principles governing the PDP. The court ruled that such actions were inconsistent with the party’s constitution and the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, which binds all individuals and institutions.
Reacting to the judgment, the South-West Zonal Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Mr. Sanya Atofarati, said the party would exercise its right of appeal, expressing confidence that the PDP’s legal team would take immediate steps to challenge the ruling.
Atofarati maintained that the judgment would not disrupt the party’s preparations for the forthcoming governorship election scheduled for June 20, noting that the PDP had already inaugurated its campaign committee and commenced widespread grassroots mobilisation across the state.
He described the suit as part of a conspiracy against the party and its candidate, insisting that the primary election was free and fair, as reportedly observed by officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) who monitored the exercise.
According to him, the ruling may appear like a setback, but it comes at a time when many Ekiti residents are seeking a change of government due to what he described as the underperformance of the current administration.
Atofarati said the PDP remains the most tested and trusted political party in the state, adding that the delegates, after what he described as a thorough primary process, elected Dr. Oluyede as the party’s flag bearer.
He explained that while multiple aspirants initially approached the court to challenge the primary, one later withdrew her petition, leaving only Ayeni’s case for determination.
He stressed that the judgment represents only the first stage of the judicial process and reaffirmed the party’s resolve to pursue all legal options.
Atofarati further assured party members and supporters that the PDP would not be distracted, noting that mobilisation efforts had already commenced from polling units to wards and across the 16 local government areas of Ekiti State ahead of the election.
