Opposition parties may boycott Ekiti poll over PDP exclusion
Some opposition parties in Ekiti State, led by the Inter-Party Advisory Committee, have threatened to boycott the upcoming governorship election over the exclusion of Dr Wole Oluyede, the Peoples Democratic Party flagbearer. Owoola Daramola, IPAC State Chairman, joined PDP supporters in a protest at the Independent National Electoral Commission headquarters in Ado Ekiti. The group is demanding an explanation from INEC regarding the omission of the PDP candidate. Tensions have risen as parties insist on a free, fair, and inclusive election.
Key takeaways
- Opposition parties, under IPAC, threatened to boycott the June 20 governorship election after Dr Wole Oluyede was excluded from the official candidates’ list.
- The exclusion was confirmed in INEC’s list of candidates for the June 20 Ekiti governorship election released on December 29, 2025.
- INEC guidelines state that parties can withdraw or replace candidates until January 12, 2026, with the final list to be published on January 19, 2026.
- Ayodeji Ogunsakin of PDP questioned why INEC didn’t allow the party to upload Oluyede’s name, despite monitoring the primaries and no court orders preventing his candidacy.
- INEC’s Resident Electoral Commissioner, Dr Bunmi Omoseyindemi, advised PDP to direct grievances to the national headquarters, reaffirming INEC’s commitment to neutrality and transparency.
