A federal high court in Ado-Ekiti has nullified the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship primary in Ekiti State ahead of the 2026 elections, ordering the party to conduct a fresh primary in compliance with the law and its internal guidelines.
Gatekeepers News reports that the ruling was delivered on Tuesday by Justice Babs Kuewumi in suit FHC/AD/CS/29/2025, filed by governorship aspirant Funso Ayeni against the PDP and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
Ayeni had challenged the validity of the primary that produced Wole Oluyede, arguing that the party “failed to present the original and authentic list” of statutory and ad hoc delegates used for the exercise. He contended that the absence of the original delegates’ list constituted a fundamental breach of the PDP guidelines and the Electoral Act, rendering the primary invalid.
In his judgment, Justice Kuewumi held that the primary did not comply with the provisions of the law and the party’s constitution. The court consequently nullified the exercise and directed the PDP to conduct a fresh governorship primary election in strict adherence to the law and relevant party guidelines.
The judge further ordered that all eligible aspirants must be allowed to participate in the new primary to ensure transparency, fairness, and internal democracy within the party. INEC was also instructed to monitor the exercise.
Oluyede, a medical expert, was elected the PDP gubernatorial candidate on November 8, 2025. He secured 279 votes, defeating Ayeni, who received 239 votes. The primary was conducted by the PDP National Working Committee (NWC) and was reportedly supported by Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde.
