Ekiti 2026: APC Kicks As Group Seeks Tinubu’s Help Over Exclusion Of PDP Candidate

A political pressure group, Ekiti Liberation Agenda (ELA), has called on President Bola Tinubu to intervene over the exclusion of the Ekiti state Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate, Dr. Wole Oluyede from the list of candidates as released by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

The group further warned that the continued silence by authorities could heighten tension in the state.

The group also accused the Ekiti State Governor, Mr Biodun Oyebanji and the chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Joash Amupitan of being behind the exclusion of Oluyede’s name from INEC’s official list of candidates.

But responding to the group’s claim, the publicity secretary of APC in the state, Mr Segun Dipe described ELA as meddlesome interlopers.

Dipe said it was not possible for APC to mastermind the exclusion of any person.

Earlier, spokesperson of the group, Mrs. Motunde Fajuyi,  while addressing newsmen in Ado Ekiti, said Oluyede’s commission from the INEC’s list was not accidental but a deliberate political manipulation, to stop the PDP flag bearer  from contesting in the June 20 governorship election.

Fajuyi, who is the former  chairman of Ado local government area of the state said that Oluyede had emerged from a free and fair primary election duly supervised, monitored and  okayed by INEC officials, only for his name to be excluded without any formal explanation.

She further alleged that the development was influenced by the  state government, claiming that those that met the INEC Chairman on the matter were told he ‘acted on orders’.

According to her, Oluyede’s name omission is a pointer to the disagreement within the All Progressives Congress (APC), where she alleged that credible aspirants, including Engineer Kayode Ojo and another female aspirant, Abimbola Olajumoke, were unjustly disqualified without reasons during party primaries.

She said the developments were part of her reasons for stepping aside from partisan politics and joining other concerned citizens to form the Ekiti Liberation Agenda, which she described as a platform to resist what she termed systemic injustice and political exclusion in the state.

Fajuyi called on President Bola Tinubu to “intervene, warning that continued silence by authorities could heighten tension in the state.”

While calling for the immediate restoration of Oluyede’s name to the INEC list, she said failure to do so could hit up polity in the state.

In his response, the publicity secretary of APC in the state, Mr Segun Dipe said “It is not possible for APC to mastermind the exclusion of any person, or to disqualify our member, but the national headquarters who conduct the primary, having not met some qualifications”.

Speaking on Oluyede name’s exclusion, he said,”Go and read INEC position, it is clear they did not upload at the time, they are supposed to do, so  as to be accepted by INEC. So, how did that concern us?

“Again in PDP, remember they have three different factions, as INEC did observe, and told them. Again, how does this concern Ekiti APC or government.Not in our interest to get anyone disqualified”.