INEC Publishes Final Candidates List For Ekiti 2026 Governorship Election, PDP And SDP Missing
By Oludare Joshua
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has officially released the final list of candidates for the Ekiti State governorship election scheduled for June 20, 2026, with the conspicuous absence of nominees from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the Social Democratic Party (SDP).
According to the list issued by the electoral body, six candidates have been cleared to contest the off-cycle election. They are Opeyemi Falegan of the Accord Party (AP), Akande Oluwasegun of the African Action Congress (AAC), Ayodeji Ojo of the Action Democratic Party (ADP), Oluwadare Bejide of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), incumbent Governor Biodun Oyebanji of the All Progressives Congress (APC), and Bidemi Awogbemi of the Action People’s Party (APP).
Notably absent from the final publication are Wole Oluyede of the PDP and David Bankole of the SDP, both of whom were excluded following unresolved legal and procedural issues.
Court Voids PDP Primary
INEC had earlier omitted Oluyede’s name from the provisional list of candidates displayed at its Ado-Ekiti office in December 2025. The decision followed a judgment delivered on January 13 by the Federal High Court sitting in Ado-Ekiti, which nullified the PDP governorship primary that produced Oluyede as the party’s flagbearer.
The court ordered the PDP to conduct a fresh primary election in strict compliance with the law and the party’s constitution and guidelines. Oluyede, a medical doctor, had emerged as PDP candidate in November 2025 after securing 279 votes to defeat his closest rival, Funso Ayeni, who polled 239 votes in the primary election conducted by the party’s National Working Committee.
PDP Leadership Crisis Worsens
The exclusion of the PDP candidate comes against the backdrop of a protracted leadership crisis within the opposition party, which has split it into rival factions. One faction is reportedly backed by Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde and Bauchi State Governor Bala Mohammed, while the other aligns with the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike.
In a related development, INEC recently declined a request to recognise the PDP National Working Committee chaired by Kabiru Turaki, citing conflicting court judgments. The commission stated that it would not update its records on the party’s national leadership until all legal disputes arising from the PDP national convention held in Ibadan, Oyo State, in November are conclusively resolved.
Ekiti Election Nears
With the exclusion of candidates from both the PDP and SDP, the Ekiti governorship contest will now be fought among six political parties as preparations intensify for the June 20, 2026 election.
INEC has reiterated its commitment to upholding the rule of law, stressing that all its actions regarding the electoral process are guided strictly by court rulings and existing legal frameworks.
