The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has released the official list of candidates for the Ekiti State governorship election scheduled for June 20, 2026, with the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, Wole Oluyede, noticeably excluded.
The list, which was pasted on Monday at the INEC office in Ado-Ekiti, contains the names of governorship candidates and their running mates from 12 political parties cleared to participate in the election.
According to the published list, approved candidates include Opeyemi Falegan of the Accord Party; Akande Oluwasegun of the African Action Congress (AAC); Ayodeji Ojo of the Action Democratic Party (ADP); Oluwadare Bejide of the African Democratic Congress (ADC); and Biodun Oyebanji of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Other candidates on the list are Bidemi Awogbemi of the Action People’s Party (APP); Joseph Anifowose of the Allied People’s Movement (APM); Oyebanji Olajuyin of the Labour Party (LP); Blessing Abegunde of the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP); Olaniyi Ayodele of the People’s Redemption Party (PRP); Owoola Daramola of the Young Progressive Party (YPP); and Victor Adetunji of the Zenith Labour Party (ZLP).
Conspicuously absent from the list is Wole Oluyede, the PDP’s governorship candidate, despite his emergence as winner of the party’s primary election conducted in November 2025.
Oluyede, a medical doctor, clinched the PDP ticket at a primary organised by the party’s National Working Committee (NWC) backed by Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde. He polled 279 votes to defeat his closest challenger, Funso Ayeni, who scored 239 votes.
INEC’s decision is believed to be linked to the lingering leadership crisis within the PDP, which has split the party into two rival factions. One faction is aligned with Governors Makinde of Oyo State and Bala Mohammed of Bauchi State, while the other is loyal to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike.
The electoral body had last week declined to recognise the PDP NWC chaired by Kabiru Turaki, which is supported by the Makinde-Mohammed bloc.
INEC cited multiple court judgments, stressing that it would not update its records to reflect any changes in the PDP’s national leadership until all legal disputes arising from the party’s national convention held in Ibadan, Oyo State, in November are fully resolved.
