Election: Tension as INEC Removes Two Major Parties from Final List

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has released the final list of governorship and deputy governorship candidates for the upcoming Ekiti State election scheduled for June 20.

Notably absent from this list are the candidates from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the Social Democratic Party (SDP).

Specifically, the names of PDP candidate Dr. Wole Oluyede and SDP candidate David Bankole were not included, while candidates from 12 other political parties are listed.

The final candidate list was made available on the INEC notice board at the commission’s state headquarters in Ado Ekiti.

In light of their absence from the list, Gani Salau, spokesperson for Dr. Oluyede, expressed optimism that Oluyede would still be able to participate in the election.

He mentioned that the PDP has initiated two legal actions: one is an appeal seeking to stay the execution of a court order that mandates fresh primaries for the party, and the other requests that INEC officially recognize and publish Oluyede’s name as the party’s candidate for the governorship election.

Similarly, SDP State Chairman, Ayodele Bamikole, said the party would pursue legal avenues to ensure its candidate is included in the list.

According to INEC’s final list, the governorship and deputy governorship candidates for the June 20 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), Olanrewaju Anifowose and Adenike Ilesanmi (APM).

Others are Biodun Oyebanji and Monisade Afuye (APC), Olaiya Awogbemi and Akinyemi Adewumi (APP), Oyebanji Olajuyin and Odunayo Okunade (LP), Praise Ayodele and Dorcas Adeniyi (PRP), Damilola Adetunji and Adesina Oyeniyi (ZLP), Olusegun Osinkolu (YPP), and Blessing Abegunde and Ade Francis (NNPP).

INEC had released a provisional list on December 29, 2025, giving parties until January 12, 2026, to make corrections or substitutions before publishing the final list on Monday, January 19, in line with election guidelines.

The June 20 election will determine the next governor of Ekiti State, as the four-year tenure of incumbent Governor Biodun Oyebanji is set to end on October 15, 2026. Oyebanji, seeking a second term on the APC platform, will contest against the candidates of the other parties listed.