2026: Opposition events threaten to boycott Ekiti gov ballot over PDP exclusion

Some opposition events in Ekiti State, beneath the auspices of the Inter-Party Advisory Committee, on Tuesday threatened to boycott the June 20 governorship election over the exclusion of Peoples Democratic Party governorship flagbearer, Dr Wole Oluyede, from the official candidates’ listing.

IPAC State Chairman Owoola Daramola, who joined PDP supporters at a peaceable protest and assembly on the Impartial Nationwide Electoral Fee state headquarters in Ado Ekiti, mentioned opposition events wouldn’t take part within the election with any occasion or candidate excluded.

The protesters, carrying placards, chanted solidarity songs in entrance of the INEC workplace, at the same time as INEC officers held a gathering with the IPAC chairman and PDP leaders concerning the exclusion of the occasion from the election.

Daramola instructed journalists, “Because the IPAC chairman in Ekiti State, we need to set up one factor at this time! In Nigeria, the narrative should change; there have to be free, honest, credible, and inclusive elections.

“All different political events need this. We aren’t going into the election with anyone being excluded illegally.”

The IPAC chairman, noting that PDP performed its main in keeping with the principles and that its candidate emerged duly, added, “INEC ought to come out and inform the entire world what’s flawed with the candidacy of the PDP flagbearer, Dr Oluyede.

“In any other case, we’ll simply go away the election for the All Progressives Congress or whoever they need to run the election.

“However I inform you at this time, the fee ought to come out and inform us expressly why Oluyede’s identify was not revealed.”

A PDP chieftain, Ayodeji Ogunsakin, who represented his occasion on the occasion, counseled IPAC for its solidarity with PDP following the exclusion of its candidate.

Ogunsakin, a former PDP deputy governorship candidate, questioned why INEC didn’t permit the occasion’s nationwide management to add Oluyede’s identify on the INEC portal regardless of monitoring the primaries.

He mentioned, “It’s stunning to us. INEC supervised our primaries; there was no challenge. We adopted due course of. There was no courtroom order stopping us from conducting our primaries, and there was no courtroom injunction or judgment after the primaries.

“If they’re referring to the problem of conference, we did our primaries within the state two weeks earlier than the conference.”

Ogunsakin additionally alleged APC connivance within the exclusion of the PDP candidate, saying, “APC shouldn’t flip Nigeria right into a one-party state.

“There are particular components in APC who’re afraid of contest. If APC is afraid of contest, they need to have accomplished nicely. They need to have carried out higher.”

The INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner in Ekiti State, Dr Bunmi Omoseyindemi, mentioned the problems raised by PDP had been past the purview of his workplace.

Represented by the Head of Election and Party Monitoring Division, Kehinde Mustafa, Omoseyindemi mentioned issues regarding the listing of candidates are dealt with at INEC’s nationwide headquarters and suggested PDP to channel its grievances to INEC headquarters in Abuja for mandatory consideration.

He reiterated the physique’s dedication to neutrality, professionalism, and strict adherence to the Electoral Act and its tips, stressing that INEC stays centered on conducting a clear and peaceable governorship election within the state.

Recall that INEC, within the listing of candidates for the June 20 Ekiti governorship election launched on December 29, 2025, excluded the identify of the PDP candidate.

Oluyede and PDP leaders in Ekiti State have faulted the exclusion and threatened to problem it, vowing to take each mandatory step to make sure he participates within the election and emerges as governor.

In response to INEC tips, political events’ alternative to withdraw or change candidates lapses on January 12, 2026, whereas the electoral physique is anticipated to publish the ultimate listing of nominated candidates on January 19, 2026.