The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has released the list of candidates for the June 20, 2026, governorship election in Ekiti State.
The list, which was pasted on Monday at the INEC headquarters in Ado-Ekiti, the state capital, contains the names of governorship candidates and their running mates from 12 political parties cleared to participate in the election.
Those on the list include Opeyemi Falegan of the Accord Party; Akande Oluwasegun of the African Action Congress; Ayodeji Ojo of the Action Democratic Party; Oluwadare Bejide of the African Democratic Congress; Biodun Oyebanji of the All Progressives Congress; and Bidemi Awogbemi of the Action People’s Party.
Others are Joseph Anifowose of the Allied People’s Movement; Oyebanji Olajuyin of the Labour Party; Blessing Abegunde of the New Nigeria People Party; Olaniyi Ayodele of the People’s Redemption Party; Owoola Daramola of the Young Progressive Party; and Victor Adetunji of the Zenith Labour Party.
However, the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Wole Oluyede, was conspicuously absent from the list released by the electoral umpire.
Oluyede, a medical expert, emerged as the PDP governorship candidate in November after polling 279 votes to defeat his closest rival, Funso Ayeni, who scored 239 votes. The primary election was conducted by the PDP National Working Committee backed by Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde.
The PDP has been enmeshed in a prolonged leadership crisis that has split the party into factions, one aligned with Makinde and Bauchi State Governor, Bala Mohammed, and another loyal to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike.
Last week, INEC rejected a request to recognise the National Working Committee chaired by Kabiru Turaki, which enjoys the backing of Makinde and Mohammed.
The commission cited subsisting court judgements, explaining that it would not update its records to reflect any changes in the PDP’s national leadership pending the determination of ongoing legal disputes arising from the party’s national convention held in Ibadan, Oyo State, in November.