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By Myke Agunwa
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has vowed to drag the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to court, seeking to compel it to include its candidate, Dr. Oluwole Oluyede, in the final list for the 2026 Ekiti State governorship election.
In a statement issued Tuesday by National Publicity Secretary Comrade Ini Ememobong, the PDP described INEC’s omission of Oluyede’s name and particulars as “yet another confirmation” of the Commission’s hostility toward the main opposition party.
“For the avoidance of doubt, INEC was duly notified, attended, monitored and issued reports confirming that our primaries were democratically conducted and compliant with all extant laws,” the statement read. The party said INEC subsequently provided nomination portal access codes, only to “disingenuously block” them days before the deadline, forcing manual submission, which was duly acknowledged.
The PDP insisted there is no rival claim or court order barring recognition of Oluyede, and INEC’s own monitoring report validates the process.
“INEC ought to have acted with caution and responsibility by including Dr. Oluwole Oluyede in the published list. This would have been the safest and most lawful course,” the party stated, warning that the Commission’s actions risk harming democracy.
While invoking the proverb “he who pays the piper dictates the tune,” the PDP cautioned INEC that the current “high-pitched tune” could ultimately damage the umpire itself.
“Our party has immediately taken steps to approach the courts to compel INEC to do what it ought to have done in the first place,” Ememobong declared, urging the Commission to remain “independent, impartial and neutral.”
The threat of litigation adds fresh tension to the already contentious build-up to the Ekiti and Osun governorship polls, with the PDP framing INEC’s conduct as part of a broader pattern of alleged bias against the opposition.