Dr. Wole Oluyede, the winner of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship primary in Ekiti State, has announced plans to appeal the Federal High Court’s recent nullification of the exercise, describing the ruling as unjust and procedurally flawed.
Through his lawyer, Owoseni Ajayi, Oluyede confirmed that an appeal will be filed promptly, accompanied by a request for a stay of execution to prevent an immediate rerun of the primary. He stressed his determination to exhaust all legal avenues to have his candidacy recognised and his name restored ahead of the June 20, 2026, governorship election.
The development follows a ruling by Justice Babs Kuewumi of the Ado Ekiti Division of the Federal High Court, which on Tuesday invalidated the PDP primaries held on November 8, 2025. The judgment came in response to a challenge by aspirant Funso Ayeni, who alleged that the party failed to present an authentic list of statutory and ad hoc delegates during the exercise.
Justice Kuewumi directed the PDP, in collaboration with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), to conduct a fresh primary in strict compliance with the law and the party’s constitution, ensuring all eligible aspirants are allowed to participate.
Oluyede, however, maintains that his original victory was legitimate. He argued that the nullification undermines both internal democracy and the rights of party members, insisting that the court’s decision does not reflect the fairness of the exercise.
Earlier, Oluyede was excluded from INEC’s official list of governorship candidates published on December 29, 2025, a move he says he will contest vigorously.
“We will ensure that justice prevails and that Dr. Oluyede’s rightful position as PDP’s governorship candidate is restored ahead of the 2026 election,” Ajayi said.
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