The Federal High Court sitting in Ado Ekiti has nullified the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship primary conducted on November 8, 2025, ordering the party to organise a fresh exercise in line with the law and its internal guidelines.
The ruling, delivered on Tuesday by Justice Babs Kuewumi, followed a suit filed by one of the aspirants, Funso Ayeni, who challenged the validity of the primary over alleged violations of the PDP constitution and the Electoral Act.
Ayeni, represented by his counsel, Kola Kolade (SAN), argued that the party failed to present the original and authentic list of statutory and ad hoc delegates used for the primary. He contended that this omission constituted a fundamental breach capable of invalidating the entire process.
In his judgment, Justice Kuewumi upheld the claimant’s arguments, ruling that the conduct of the primary did not comply with extant laws and party regulations.
“The conduct of the primary election did not comply with the provisions of the law and the party’s constitution. Consequently, the primary election is hereby nullified,” the judge held.
The court subsequently directed the PDP, in collaboration with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), to conduct a fresh governorship primary in strict compliance with legal and party guidelines. Justice Kuewumi further emphasised that all qualified aspirants must be allowed to participate in the rerun to guarantee transparency, fairness, and internal democracy within the party.
Reacting to the judgment, the winner of the nullified primary, Dr. Wole Oluyede, expressed dissatisfaction with the ruling and announced plans to challenge it at the Court of Appeal. Speaking through his counsel, Owoseni Ajayi, Oluyede confirmed that an appeal would be filed alongside an application for a stay of execution.
The court decision comes against the backdrop of Oluyede’s earlier exclusion from INEC’s official list of governorship candidates for the June 20, 2026 Ekiti State election, which was published on December 29, 2025.
Oluyede has since vowed to contest both the court ruling and his omission from the INEC list, insisting that he will exhaust all available legal options to have his name reinstated and remain in contention for the governorship race.
Fresh Facts Magazine will continue to monitor developments surrounding the PDP primary and the unfolding legal battle ahead of the 2026 Ekiti governorship election.
