Tension has risen ahead of the June 20 governorship election in Ekiti State following the exclusion of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the Social Democratic Party (SDP) from the final list of candidates released by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
INEC on Monday published the final list of governorship and deputy governorship candidates at its state headquarters in Ado Ekiti, but the names of the PDP candidate, Dr Oluwole Oluyede, and the SDP’s flagbearer, David Bankole, were conspicuously absent. The list features candidates from 12 other political parties.
Reacting to the development, the spokesperson for the PDP governorship candidate, Gani Salau, expressed confidence that Oluyede would still be cleared to participate in the election. He disclosed that the party has already approached the courts, filing two separate cases, one seeking a stay of execution and appeal against the judgment that ordered fresh PDP primaries, and another asking the court to compel INEC to publish Oluyede’s name as the party’s official candidate.
Similarly, the SDP State Chairman, Ayodele Bamikole, said the party would exhaust all legal options to ensure its candidate’s inclusion in the race, insisting that the exclusion would not stand.
INEC explained that the final list followed the publication of a provisional list on December 29, 2025, after which political parties were given until January 12, 2026, to correct errors or make substitutions, in line with electoral guidelines.
According to the commission, candidates cleared for the election include Opeyemi Falegan and Bayode Omoyeni (Accord); Oluwasegun Akande and Oluwasanmi Fajuyigbe (AAC); Oluwadare Bejide and Ayodeji Babalola (ADC); Ojo Ayodeji and Itunu Ibitoye (ADP); and Olanrewaju Anifowose and Adenike Ilesanmi (APM).
Others on the list are Governor Biodun Oyebanji and his deputy, Monisade Afuye (APC); Olaiya Awogbemi and Akinyemi Adewumi (APP); Oyebanji Olajuyin and Odunayo Okunade (Labour Party); Praise Ayodele and Dorcas Adeniyi (PRP); Damilola Adetunji and Adesina Oyeniyi (ZLP); Olusegun Osinkolu (YPP); and Blessing Abegunde and Ade Francis (NNPP).
The June 20 election will determine who governs Ekiti State for the next four years, as the tenure of Governor Biodun Oyebanji, who is seeking re-election on the All Progressives Congress (APC) platform, comes to an end on October 15, 2026.
As legal battles loom, the political atmosphere in Ekiti remains tense, with stakeholders awaiting court decisions that could reshape the governorship contest.
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