Oluyede wins Ekiti PDP Governorship Primary

By Idowu Adebomi, Ado Ekiti

Dr. Wole Oluyede, an Ikere-Ekiti born politician, has emerged as the flag bearer for the People's Democratic Party (PDP) in the upcoming 2026 Ekiti State governorship election.

In a keenly contested primary election held on Saturday at the Vino Event Centre in Ado Ekiti, Dr. Oluyede secured the victory by polling 279 votes.

His closest rival, Hon. Funso Ayeni, trailed with 239 votes, while Theresa Funmi Ogun received 27 votes.

The election day began as early as 8:30 am with the arrival of delegates from all sixteen local government areas, alongside INEC observers and the electoral panel, which was led by former Gombe State Governor, Ibrahim Dankambo.

The primary was not without its moments of tension, as the start was delayed and briefly disrupted by disgruntled members protesting the exclusion of Ido/Osi local government. Despite this, the process moved forward, and one of the aspirants, Dr. Peter Obafemi, later withdrew from the race to throw his support behind Dr. Oluyede.

In his acceptance speech, Dr. Oluyede extended gratitude to the delegates, emphasizing that the victory transcended his personal ambition and belonged to the entire party.

He extended an olive branch to his co-contestants, calling on all members to remain united and committed to the task ahead. "Today's election shows that internal democracy works in our party," he affirmed.

However, Hon. Funso Ayeni expressed dissatisfaction with what he termed imperfections in the process and announced his intention to seek redress through internal party channels.

"This is the beginning, and there are steps I will take to explore those channels," he stated.

The State PDP Chairman, Rt. Hon Tunji Odeyemi, commended the maturity and sportsmanship displayed by the aspirants, delegates, and party chieftains, ultimately declaring the process free and fair.

He pledged the party's commitment to accommodating all candidates in a bid to ensure unity and victory in the general elections.

With his emergence, Dr. Oluyede is now set to challenge other prominent candidates in the race for the Oke Ayoba top job, including Biodun Oyebanji (APC), Ambassador Dare Bejide (ADC), Hon. Falegan (Accord Party), and Elder Blessing Abegunde (NNPP).