By Olushola Daniel

A Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to recognise and publish the name of Dr. Oluwole Oluyede as the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the June 2026 Ekiti State governorship election.
Delivering judgment on Friday, Justice Mohammed Umar directed INEC to include both Oluyede’s name and the PDP logo on the ballot for the forthcoming election.
The court held that the suit filed by the PDP and Oluyede was meritorious and consequently granted the reliefs sought by the plaintiffs.
Justice Umar ruled that the plaintiffs had established a reasonable cause of action and were entitled to the remedies requested. He further clarified that the case before the court was not about the validity of the offices of the party’s national chairman or national secretary.
The suit, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/40/2026, was filed by the PDP and Oluyede against INEC as the sole defendant.
In the suit, the plaintiffs raised six legal questions, asking the court to determine whether, in view of Sections 29(1) and (3) and 84(5)(b)(ii) of the Electoral Act, 2022, it would be illegal, unlawful or unconstitutional for INEC to refuse to publish Oluyede’s name among the list of candidates for the election.
They argued that the electoral body had monitored and documented the party’s governorship primary election held on November 8 and 9, 2025, which produced Oluyede as the PDP’s candidate for the 2026 poll. According to them, the commission’s refusal to publish his name was therefore inconsistent with the law.
Among the 11 reliefs sought, the plaintiffs asked the court to compel INEC to recognise and publish Oluyede’s name as the PDP governorship candidate for the Ekiti State election.
In his judgment, Justice Umar emphasised that the issue before the court was not whether INEC should accept the candidacy of the second plaintiff, but whether the commission had the power to reject names submitted by political parties.
“The apex court has settled the fact that the defendant cannot refuse names submitted by political parties on the basis of the qualifications of those submitting them,” the judge held.
Consequently, the court ordered INEC to include Oluyede’s name on the ballot as the PDP governorship candidate for the 2026 Ekiti election.
Justice Umar also granted a perpetual injunction restraining INEC, its chairman, officials, agents or representatives from rejecting or refusing to recognise Oluyede’s nomination as the PDP candidate.
Oluyede had earlier received a certificate of return from the PDP National Chairman, Kabiru Turaki, SAN, confirming him as the party’s flagbearer for the 2026 governorship race.
However, the PDP said INEC, under the leadership of its chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, SAN, declined to include Oluyede’s name on the list of candidates, prompting both the party and the candidate to challenge the decision in court.