* Daramola Owoola,
Chairman of the Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC) in Ekiti State addressing the press at INEC Office in Ado Ekiti yesterday.
By Stephen Adeyinka, Ado Ekiti
Wednesday January 7, 2026
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The Chairman of the Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC) in Ekiti State, Daramola Owoola, has declared that there will be no governorship election in the state in 2026 if the name of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, Dr. Wole Oluyede, is excluded from the ballot.
Owoola made this statement on Wednesday at the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) office along New Iyin Road, Ado-Ekiti, during a protest organised by members of the PDP, artisans, commercial motorcyclists (okada riders), civil groups, and members of other political parties.
The protest was against the omission of Oluyede’s name from the provisional list of candidates released by INEC last week.
According to the IPAC chairman, he was at the INEC office to convey the collective position of all political parties under IPAC in Ekiti State. He warned that if Dr. Oluyede’s name does not appear on the final ballot, political parties would boycott the election entirely.
He stated that INEC would not want to jeopardise the democratic process or truncate the emergence of a legitimate government in Ekiti State in 2026, expressing confidence that the commission would take appropriate corrective action.
Owoola further noted that INEC had earlier acknowledged that the PDP followed due process in conducting its primary election, stressing that there was no justification for excluding the party or its candidate. He reiterated that if the situation remained unchanged, IPAC members would withdraw from the election.
The IPAC chairman was accompanied to the INEC office by the Chairman of the Accord Party in Ekiti State, Phillips Oluropo Adeniji.
Responding to the protest, the Head of Election and Party Monitoring at the Ekiti INEC office, Kehinde Mustapha, received the delegation and assured them that their concerns would be addressed.
He explained that INEC had deployed officials to monitor the PDP primary in line with Section 82(2) of the Electoral Act and that the commission was unaware of any irregularities thereafter.
He expressed appreciation for the peaceful protest and welcomed the delegation on behalf of the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC).
Also speaking, the Head of INEC’s Legal Department in the state, Tunde Salako, assured the protesters that the commission was working within the stipulated timeframe.
He advised the parties to formally communicate their grievances to INEC headquarters in Abuja, noting that the commission at the state level does not have constitutional powers to disqualify candidates.
Salako added that INEC remains committed to fairness and impartiality, assuring stakeholders that the commission would conduct its duties without bias, regardless of religious or political affiliations.
The leader of the delegation to INEC, Deji Ogunsakin, informed the commission that the PDP primary held on November 8, which produced Dr. Oluyede as the party’s candidate, was peaceful and free of controversy. He stressed that there was no parallel primary, court case, or injunction arising from the exercise.
Ogunsakin questioned why Oluyede’s name was excluded from the provisional list, alleging that there were reports suggesting collaboration between the All Progressives Congress (APC) and INEC to disqualify the PDP candidate. He urged INEC to demonstrate neutrality and adhere strictly to due process.
Speaking on behalf of Dr. Oluyede, Ogunsakin appealed to the commission to uphold fairness, noting that while the APC was reportedly grappling with post-primary litigations, the PDP had none.
He thanked INEC officials for their guidance and assured them that the party would follow the advised procedures.
He further reiterated IPAC’s stance that political parties would boycott the election if the matter was not resolved, adding that Ekiti residents were yearning for change and that the incumbent administration was allegedly afraid of facing opposition candidates at the polls.
The former South-West Chairman of the PDP, Chief Makanjuola Ogundipe, commended party members, other political parties, artisans, okada riders, and well-wishers who participated in the peaceful protest. He urged them to remain calm and await further directives from the party leadership.
Protesters carried placards with inscriptions such as “Release Dr. Wole Oluyede’s Name Now for 2026,” “Oluyede Is the Alternative for 2026,” “Ekiti APC Should Allow Fair Competition,” and “BAO Is Afraid of Oluyede.”
Other prominent party leaders present at the INEC office included the PDP Deputy Chairman, Hon. Ebenezer Oladipo; the State Secretary, Kole Abiodun; former Speaker of the Ekiti State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Kola Oluwawole; the Zonal Officer, Mrs. Lanre Fajuyi; former Irepodun/Ifelodun Local Government Chairman, Elder Martins Ibikunle; Chairman of Chairmen, Aare Yemi Ajanaku; as well as other local government party chairmen, coordinators, party leaders, and members of the women’s prayer wing.
The protest, which featured solidarity songs and firm warnings to INEC, remained peaceful throughout, with demonstrators demanding the immediate inclusion of Dr. Wole Oluyede’s name on the ballot.
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