The Court of Appeal sitting in Akure has affirmed Wole Oluyede as the duly nominated governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the 2026 governorship election in Ekiti State.
In a unanimous judgment delivered on Thursday, the three-member appellate panel overturned the earlier ruling of the Federal High Court in Ado‑Ekiti which had nullified the party’s governorship primary.
The panel, led by Justice Peter Chudi Obiorah alongside Justices Jane Esienanwan Inyang and Peter O. Affen, held that the PDP primary election that produced Oluyede complied with both the party’s constitution and the provisions of the Electoral Act.
According to the court, the primary election organised by the PDP National Working Committee, headed by Kabiru Tanimu Turaki, was lawful, transparent and properly conducted.
The lower court had earlier, on January 13, 2026, invalidated the PDP governorship primary held between November 8 and 9, 2025, triggering a legal battle within the party over its candidate for the forthcoming election.
Unhappy with that ruling, the PDP filed an appeal, asking the appellate court to overturn the decision and validate the outcome of its primary election.
Delivering its decision on Thursday, the Court of Appeal allowed the appeal and set aside the judgment of the Federal High Court, declaring that the process which produced Oluyede as the party’s candidate was valid.
The ruling effectively resolves the internal dispute that had overshadowed the party’s preparations for the 2026 Ekiti governorship election. With the legal hurdle cleared, the PDP is now expected to proceed into the race with Oluyede as its confirmed candidate.
