Oluyede Wins Ekiti PDP Governorship Primary Amid Delegate List Controversy
Dr. Wole Oluyede has emerged as the winner of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship primary election in Ekiti State, polling 279 votes to defeat Funso Ayeni, who scored 239, while the only female aspirant, Funmilayo Ogun, got 17 votes.
Another aspirant, Peter Obafemi, stepped down before voting, declaring support for Oluyede.
Chairman of the PDP Primary Committee, Senator Ibrahim Dankwambo, declared Oluyede winner, describing the exercise as peaceful and transparent.
In his acceptance speech, Oluyede hailed the outcome as a collective victory for the party and promised to “restore hope, rebuild trust, and reclaim Ekiti from misrule.”
However, controversy trailed the process as Mrs. Funmilayo Ogun alleged manipulation of the delegates’ list used for the primary.
She accused some party leaders of removing authentic delegates and inserting names of individuals who never obtained nomination forms, calling the act shameful and undemocratic.
Ogun, who claimed her own name was deleted from her ward’s delegate list, said the manipulation was targeted at frustrating her ambition as a woman, vowing to challenge the process legally if the national leadership fails to intervene.
She urged INEC to reject any process not based on the list it observed during the October 20 ad-hoc congresses.
Supporting her claim, PDP Local Government Chairmen’s Forum leader, Aare Oluyemi Ajanaku, described the delegate list controversy as worrisome, warning that such manipulation could divide the party ahead of the 2026 election.
Despite the uproar, Ekiti PDP Chairman, Hon. Tunji Odeyemi, lauded the conduct of the primary and appealed to all aspirants to remain united, saying the election had produced a credible candidate capable of defeating the APC in the coming poll.
While Oluyede called for unity and reconciliation, Ogun insisted that her struggle represents a fight for fairness, transparency, and gender inclusion, declaring that no woman has ever been elected governor in Nigeria and that it is time to change the narrative.
A journalist with a speciality in politics, judiciary, and investigation for in-depth stories as a correspondent, among others. He covers all segments of Ekiti State, providing a platform for the people to air their views on issues affecting them.
