Appeal Court Upholds Oluyede as PDP Governorship Candidate in Ekiti

The Court of Appeal sitting in Akure, the capital of Ondo State, on Thursday upheld the governorship primary election that produced Dr. Oluwole Oluyede as the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ekiti State ahead of the June 20 governorship election.

The appellate court affirmed Oluyede as the rightful winner of the PDP primary election held on November 8 and 9, 2025.

In its judgment, the court nullified an earlier ruling by the Federal High Court in Ado-Ekiti which had voided the results of the primary and ordered the party to conduct a fresh exercise.

Delivering a unanimous judgment, a three-man panel of the court led by Justice Peter Chudi Obiorah, alongside Justices Jane Esienanwan Inyang and Peter O. Affen, set aside the decision of the lower court.

The appellate court held that the primary election, supervised by former Gombe State governor, Ibrahim Dankwambo, under the leadership of acting PDP National Chairman Umar Damagum, was valid, transparent and conducted in compliance with the party’s constitution and the Electoral Act.

The court further noted that the primary election was conducted before the faction led by Tanimu Turaki emerged.

The judgment followed an earlier ruling by the Federal High Court in Ado-Ekiti on January 13, 2026, which nullified the primary election conducted in November 2025.

Dissatisfied with the verdict, the PDP approached the Court of Appeal to challenge the decision.

In its ruling, the appellate court set aside the lower court’s judgment and affirmed that the primary election was duly conducted in accordance with the law.