INEC Lists Oluyede As PDP Candidate For Ekiti Governorship Election

The Independent National Electoral Commission has listed Wole Oluyede as the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate for the Ekiti State governorship election scheduled for June 20.

The electoral body also published the name of Ogunsakin Ayodeji as the party’s deputy governorship candidate.

INEC spokesperson, Adedayo Oketola, confirmed the development on Thursday evening, stating that the commission’s decision followed the judgment of the Court of Appeal sitting in Akure, Ondo State.

According to him, the publication of Oluyede’s name aligns with the directive of the appellate court.

Oluyede’s name had initially been excluded from the list of candidates published by the electoral commission in January.

However, in a ruling delivered on March 12, the Court of Appeal ordered INEC to recognise and publish his name as the PDP candidate for the Ekiti governorship election.

In a unanimous decision, a three-member panel of the appellate court set aside an earlier judgment of the Federal High Court in Ado-Ekiti, which had nullified the PDP primary election that produced Oluyede.

The panel, led by Justice Peter Chudi Obiorah, held that the primary election complied with the provisions of the party’s constitution and the Electoral Act.

Oluyede, a medical expert, emerged as the PDP governorship candidate during the party’s primary election held in November.

He polled 279 votes to defeat his closest challenger, Funso Ayeni, who secured 239 votes.

The primary election was conducted by the PDP National Working Committee led by Kabiru Turaki.