Chieftains of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ekiti State have rejected the exclusion of the partyโs governorship candidate, Dr Wole Oluyede, from the list of candidates released by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for the June 20, 2026, governorship election, insisting that the development would not stand.
The party leaders expressed confidence that Oluyede would eventually be cleared to contest the election and secure victory for the PDP in the state.
They spoke on Friday in Igede Ekiti, Irepodun/Ifelodun Local Government Area, during a meeting of PDP leaders from across the state with party members from the three political wards in the community.
A former Chairman of Irepodun/Ifelodun Local Government Area, Toba Adaramola, described Oluyede as a formidable candidate and suggested that political interests were behind his exclusion.
He said, โDo not worry, the situation is under control. I can assure you that Dr Wole Oluyede is our candidate for the June 20, 2026, governorship election.โ
Adaramola assured the party of massive votes from Igede Ekiti, noting that the town, which has three political wards, remained a stronghold of the PDP. He criticised the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) administration, saying the community needed genuine development.
A former PDP state chairman and ex-South-West zonal chairman of the party, Chief Makanjuola Ogundipe, urged party members not to be discouraged by the exclusion.
โDo not relent nor be distracted by the present exclusion of Dr Oluyedeโs name from the list of candidates. By Godโs grace, our party and candidate will be the next landlord of the Government House in Ekiti State,โ Ogundipe said.
Another party chieftain, Elder Martins Ibikunle, commended Igede Ekiti leaders for being the first to organise an open mobilisation meeting for the PDP and its candidate after the primary election.
Also speaking, the spokesperson for the Wole Oluyede Campaign Organisation, Gani Salau, urged supporters to remain calm, assuring them that Oluyede remained the PDPโs valid candidate despite efforts by detractors to have his name removed.
READ ALSO:ย Ekiti 2026: PDP Missing from INEC Provisional Candidates List
He said Oluyedeโs name would eventually appear on the final list of candidates and urged party members to sustain mobilisation efforts across the state.
Meanwhile, Oluyede had on Thursday faulted INECโs decision to exclude his name from the list of candidates released earlier in the week.
At a press briefing in Ikere Ekiti, he said INEC lacked the powers to exclude him, having duly emerged as the PDPโs candidate in a primary election monitored by the commission. He said the party would take appropriate action after consultations, including with INEC.
INEC had earlier released a list of political parties and candidates for the Ekiti governorship election, excluding the PDP and its candidate.
The commission fixed June 20, 2026, for the governorship election and stated that party primaries were conducted between October 20 and November 10, 2025. According to INEC, the final list of nominated candidates will be published on January 19, 2026.