The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has officially recognised Wole Oluyede as the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the Ekiti State election scheduled for June 20.
INEC also confirmed Ogunsakin Ayodeji as the party’s deputy governorship candidate.
According to INEC spokesperson Adedayo Oketola, the decision follows a ruling by the Court of Appeal sitting in Akure, Ondo State, which directed the commission to publish Oluyede’s name.
Initially, INEC had excluded Oluyede from its January list of candidates. However, the appellate court, in a judgment delivered on March 12, overturned an earlier decision of a Federal High Court in Ado-Ekiti that had nullified the PDP primary election.
The three-member panel of the Court of Appeal, led by Peter Chudi Obiorah, ruled unanimously that the PDP primary election complied with both the party’s constitution and the Electoral Act.
Oluyede, a medical professional, emerged as the PDP candidate during the party’s primary held in November, where he secured 279 votes, defeating his closest rival, Funso Ayeni, who polled 239 votes.
The primary election was conducted by the PDP National Working Committee led by Kabiru Turaki.
With this development, INEC has now aligned its records with the court’s directive, clearing the way for Oluyede’s participation in the upcoming governorship election.
