The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has welcomed a ruling by the Federal High Court in Abuja directing the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to recognise Dr. Oluwole Oluyede as the party’s governorship candidate for the upcoming Ekiti State election.
In a statement released on Friday, the PDP’s National Publicity Secretary, Ini Ememobong, described the judgment as a significant victory for the party and expressed confidence that it would strengthen the PDP’s chances in the Ekiti governorship poll scheduled for July 20.
The dispute began after INEC declined to recognise Oluyede as the party’s candidate, citing alleged non-compliance with provisions of the Electoral Act. Oluyede and the PDP subsequently challenged the commission’s decision in court.
Delivering judgment, the Federal High Court ordered INEC to recognise Oluyede as the PDP candidate and include both his name and the party’s logo on the ballot for the Ekiti governorship election. The court also issued a perpetual injunction restraining the commission from excluding him from any election-related activities connected to the poll.
According to the PDP, the ruling granted all the reliefs sought in the suit filed by Oluyede and the party against INEC. The party maintained that Oluyede had earlier received a certificate of return as its governorship candidate from the party’s National Chairman, Kabiru Turaki (SAN), but alleged that the electoral commission unlawfully refused to list him among the candidates.
The party urged INEC to comply fully with the court’s order and operate strictly within the law, warning against what it described as partisan conduct by the commission.
The ruling comes amid an ongoing leadership crisis within the PDP. On January 30, a Federal High Court in Ibadan nullified the party’s National Convention held in Ibadan, Oyo State, on November 15, 2025, and directed Turaki and others to stop parading themselves as national officers of the party.
Before the judgment, PDP governors had endorsed the convention that produced Turaki and members of the National Working Committee for a four-year tenure. The governors had also supervised the leadership transition from former acting National Chairman Umar Damagum to Turaki.
Meanwhile, a faction loyal to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, had earlier set up a 13-member caretaker committee led by Mohammed Abdulrahman as acting national chairman and Samuel Anyanwu as acting secretary, with a 60-day mandate.
Tensions between the two factions escalated in November 2025 when attempts by both camps to hold meetings at the party’s Wadata Plaza headquarters in Abuja ended in chaos and physical confrontations. The police later sealed the PDP National Secretariat, which has remained closed since.
Both factions subsequently sought recognition from INEC, but the commission declined to acknowledge either group, leading to a series of legal battles as preparations for the 2027 general elections continue.
Amid the crisis, the Wike-backed caretaker committee announced plans to hold a fresh national convention in Abuja from March 29 to 30 to elect new party leaders. The Court of Appeal has also reserved judgment in several consolidated suits related to the PDP leadership dispute, with a ruling date yet to be announced.
