The Court of Appeal sitting in Akure, the Ondo State capital, has affirmed Dr. Wole Oluyede as the duly nominated governorship candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) for the 2026 Ekiti State governorship election.
In an unanimous judgment delivered on Thursday, March 12, the three-member appellate panel set aside the earlier ruling of the Federal High Court in Ado-Ekiti, which had nullified the party’s primary election.
The panel, led by Justice Peter Chudi Obiorah and comprising Justices Jane Esienanwan Inyang and Peter O. Affen, held that the PDP primary election that produced Oluyede was valid and conducted in compliance with the party’s constitution and the provisions of the Electoral Act.
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The court specifically affirmed that the primary election organised by the National Working Committee (NWC) led by Kabiru Tanimu Turaki was lawful, transparent, and properly conducted.
It would be recalled that the Federal High Court in Ado-Ekiti had on January 13, 2026, nullified the Ekiti PDP governorship primary held on November 8 and 9, 2025.
Dissatisfied with the judgment, the PDP filed an appeal, asking the appellate court to overturn the decision of the lower court.
However, in its ruling on Thursday, the Court of Appeal set aside the judgment of the Federal High Court, declaring that the primary election that produced Oluyede was duly conducted.
