The electoral aspirations of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ekiti State have encountered a significant legal impasse following a judgement by the Federal High Court sitting in Ado-Ekiti, which nullified the party’s recently conducted governorship primary.
The ruling, delivered by the Honourable Justice Babs Kuewumi in the suit marked FHC/AD/CS/29/2025, sets aside the results of the primary election held on 8 November 2025. During that exercise, Dr Wole Oluyede had emerged victorious, defeating rivals Dr Funso Ayeni and Mrs Funmilayo Ogun.
The legal challenge was initiated by Dr Funso Ayeni through his counsel, Mr Kola Kolade (SAN). The claimant argued that the primary was conducted in fundamental breach of both the PDP’s internal constitution and the statutory guidelines governing elections. Specifically, the claimant contended that the party had failed to present the original and authentic list of statutory and ad hoc delegates, rendering the process opaque and legally flawed.
Upholding these arguments, Justice Kuewumi ruled that the conduct of the primary did not comply with the provisions of the law or the party’s own regulations. Consequently, the court ordered the PDP, in collaboration with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), to conduct a fresh primary election. The court further mandated that the new exercise must be inclusive, allowing all qualified aspirants to participate in the interest of transparency and internal democracy.
The judgement follows a period of mounting uncertainty for the party; notably, INEC had omitted the names of Dr Oluyede and his running mate, Deji Ogunsakin, from the provisional list of candidates published on 29 December 2025, ahead of the general election scheduled for 20 June 2026.
The PDP Governorship Campaign Council has moved swiftly to manage the fallout, urging its supporters to remain steadfast. In a statement issued by the Director of Media and Communication, Sanya Atofarati, the Council dismissed the judgement as a “calculated attempt by desperate political interests” to distract the party from its campaign objectives.
“We urge our supporters to remain calm, focused, and resolute,” the statement read. “This development in no way diminishes the strength, legitimacy, or popularity of our candidate.”
Conversely, legal counsel for Dr Oluyede, Mr Owoseni Ajayi, expressed his profound dissatisfaction with the court’s decision. He confirmed that the legal team has already initiated the appeals process, including filing an application for a stay of execution to prevent the immediate enforcement of the order for a fresh primary.
As the June 2026 governorship election draws nearer, this judicial intervention places the PDP under significant pressure to resolve its internal disputes or risk further exclusion from the electoral process.
