Ekiti 2026: INEC clears APC, 11 others as PDP, SDP miss out
By Boye Oyeyemi –
The Independent National Electoral Commission has published the final list of candidates cleared to contest the June 20, 2026, governorship election in Ekiti State.
The list, released on Monday at INEC’s state headquarters in Ado-Ekiti, was issued in line with the Electoral Act 2022, which requires the publication of candidates’ names 150 days before an election.
Notably missing were the candidates of the Peoples Democratic Party and the Social Democratic Party, including the PDP governorship flagbearer, Dr Wole Oluyede, and his running mate, Deji Ogunsakin.
INEC confirmed that 12 political parties successfully completed the nomination process, with details of candidates and their deputies, including names, ages and qualifications, contained in the published document.
The All Progressives Congress was cleared to field the incumbent governor, Biodun Oyebanji, alongside his deputy, Monisade Afuye, as its governorship ticket.
Other cleared parties include ADP, ADC, AAC, Accord, APM, APP, Labour Party, NNPP, PRP, YPP and ZLP, some of which made substitutions to their earlier nominations.
The exclusion of the PDP has stirred political reactions across the state, with observers linking the development to unresolved legal disputes and internal disagreements over the party’s primary, as campaigns formally kick off ahead of the poll.
