The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has listed Wole Oluyede as the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate for the Ekiti governorship election scheduled for June 20.
The electoral body also published the name of Ogunsakin Ayodeji as the PDP’s deputy governorship candidate.
Adedayo Oketola, INEC spokesperson, told TheCable on Thursday evening that the decision aligns with the judgement of the court of appeal in Akure, the capital of Ondo.
In the list published in January, the electoral umpire had excluded Oluyede’s name as the PDP candidate for the election.
But in a ruling on March 12, the appeal court ordered INEC to publish Oluyede’s name as the PDP’s standard-bearer in the state.
In a unanimous judgment, a three-member panel of the appellate court set aside the earlier decision of a federal high court in Ado-Ekiti, the capital of Ekiti, which nullified the party’s primary election.
The panel, led by Peter Chudi Obiorah, held that the PDP primary election that produced Oluyede complied with the provisions of the party’s constitution and the Electoral Act.
Oluyede, a medical expert, was elected the PDP gubernatorial candidate in November.
Oluyede secured 279 votes to defeat Funso Ayeni, his closest challenger, who received 239 votes. The election was conducted by the PDP national working committee (NWC) led by Kabiru Turaki.
