Court Orders INEC to Recognize Oluyede as PDP Candidate

On October 31, 2023, Justice Moham Umar of the Federal High Court in Abuja ruled that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) must recognize and publish Dr. Oluwol Oluyede's name as the candidate for the People's Democratic Party (PDP) in the upcoming June 2026 Ekiti State governorship election. The court's decision followed a suit filed by the PDP, which sought to compel INEC to include Oluyede's name and the party's logo on the ballot paper.

Justice Umar determined that the PDP had conducted its primary elections properly and that Oluyede emerged as the valid candidate. The court granted a perpetual injunction against INEC, preventing it from excluding Oluyede from the list of candidates.

This ruling addressed concerns regarding INEC's previous refusal to recognize Oluyede's candidacy, which the PDP argued was unlawful. The PDP's national chairman, Kabiru Turaki, had earlier confirmed Oluyede's candidacy.