Ekiti 2026: I’ll fight my omission from INEC list – Oluwole vows

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate for the 2026 Ekiti State governorship election, Oluwole Oluyede, has vowed to challenge his exclusion from the list of candidates released by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) ahead of the poll.

Speaking on Wednesday at a press conference in Ikere-Ekiti, his hometown, Oluyede insisted that INEC lacks the constitutional authority to omit his name, stressing that the electoral body was duly notified of the PDP governorship primary and monitored the exercise in line with electoral laws.
He described the development as shocking, noting that INEC supervised the primary election and even affirmed his candidacy in court documents.

According to him, there is no court order or injunction barring him from contesting.
“That came as a surprise to me in the sense that my emergence as the candidate of the PDP was witnessed by INEC. They supervised it and wrote a report,” he said.

Oluyede maintained that INEC does not have the power to determine a party’s nominee, adding that such responsibility rests with political parties.
He disclosed that he is currently consulting widely, including engaging INEC and party stakeholders, to determine the appropriate steps to take, while assuring his supporters that there is no cause for alarm.
“As far as I know, there is no court injunction, there are no court orders that should preclude me from that election,” he said, adding that he remains confident of being on the ballot.

The PDP candidate also criticised attempts to prevent candidates from contesting, describing such actions as undemocratic and a denial of voters’ rights.
“Elections are meant to give people an opportunity to choose their government… It is not right to disenfranchise people who want to express their will,” he said.
Reaffirming his confidence in the PDP, Oluyede said the party has resolved its internal challenges and is united and prepared to win the next governorship election in Ekiti State.