“Not in our interest to get anyone disqualified,” — APC
By Gbenga Sodeinde, Ado-Ekiti
A pressure group, Ekiti Liberation Agenda (ELA), has alleged that political interference was responsible for the omission of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate, Dr. Wole Oluyede, from the official list of candidates released by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) ahead of the June 20, 2026 governorship election in Ekiti State.
The allegation was made on Monday in Ado-Ekiti by Mrs. Motunde Fajuyi, a former Chairman of Ado Local Government Area and a representative of the group, while addressing journalists.
Fajuyi described the exclusion of Oluyede’s name from the INEC list as deliberate, insisting that the PDP candidate emerged through a primary election she said was free, fair, and monitored by INEC officials.
According to her, the development raised serious concerns, particularly as no official explanation had been provided by the electoral body despite claims that the party complied with established guidelines for the conduct of its primary.
She further alleged that some individuals who made enquiries at INEC’s national headquarters were informed that the commission’s chairman was “acting on orders,” although she did not present documentary evidence to substantiate the claim.
Fajuyi said the incident reinforced wider concerns about political exclusion in the state, citing what she described as unresolved grievances during the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship primaries, where she alleged that some aspirants, including Engineer Kayode Ojo and Mrs. Abimbola Olajumoke, were disqualified without stated reasons.
She explained that such experiences informed her decision to withdraw from partisan politics and align with other concerned citizens to form the Ekiti Liberation Agenda, which she described as a non-partisan platform advocating fairness, inclusion, and due process in the political space.
Fajuyi warned that failure to address the situation could heighten political tension in the state and appealed to President Bola Tinubu to intervene in the interest of democratic stability.
“The continued silence of relevant authorities on these matters is worrisome,” she said, calling for the immediate restoration of Oluyede’s name to INEC’s list of candidates.
She stressed that the group’s position was not intended as a threat but an appeal for fairness, noting that denying candidates who emerged from valid primaries the opportunity to contest elections undermines the democratic process.
Reacting to the allegations, the APC State Publicity Secretary, Mr. Segun Dipe, dismissed the claims, describing ELA as an inconsequential group with no track record of participation in Ekiti’s electoral process.
“The ELA you are talking about is not known in the political participation of any election in Ekiti. They are just meddlesome interlopers,” Dipe said.
He stated that it was impossible for the APC or the state government to orchestrate the exclusion of any candidate, adding that political parties are responsible for conducting their primaries in line with laid-down procedures.
“It is not possible for APC to mastermind the exclusion of anyone. Where issues arise, it is the national headquarters of the party that conducts the primaries, and candidates may be disqualified for failing to meet certain qualifications,” he said.
Speaking specifically on Oluyede’s case, Dipe said INEC had already clarified its position, noting that required documents were allegedly not uploaded within the stipulated timeframe.
“Go and read INEC’s position. It is clear that the necessary uploads were not done at the appropriate time for acceptance by INEC. How does that concern us?” he queried.
He further pointed to internal disputes within the PDP, saying the party was factionalised, a situation INEC had reportedly observed and communicated to the party.
“PDP has about three different factions, as INEC noted. So how does this concern Ekiti APC or the government? It is not in our interest to get anyone disqualified,” Dipe added.