Renowned medical practitioner, Dr. Wole Oluyede, has emerged as the winner of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship primary in Ekiti State.
The primary, held in Ado-Ekiti, attracted thousands of party supporters and involved 535 delegates from the state’s 177 wards, who voted to select the party’s flagbearer ahead of the 2026 governorship election.
Security at the voting centre was tight, with the army, police, civil defence, mobile police units, and other security agencies deployed to ensure a peaceful exercise. Voting began at 10:30 pm on Saturday and concluded by 1:49 am on Sunday.
Senator Ibrahim Dankwambo, Chairman of the Primary Election Committee and Senator representing Gombe North, announced Oluyede as the winner. He polled 279 votes, defeating Funso Ayeni, who scored 239, and Funmilayo Ogun, who received 17 votes. Another aspirant, Peter Obafemi, withdrew earlier in the evening, throwing his support behind Oluyede.
Obafemi said his decision was “not for personal gains but for the peace of the party,” describing Oluyede as “a man of integrity with the ability and agility to take the party to victory.”
In his acceptance speech, Oluyede hailed the outcome as a collective victory for the PDP in Ekiti.
“Today marks a victory not just for me, but for every member of our great party in Ekiti State. In this election, there are no losers, only partners in progress and champions of democracy,” he said.
He commended the transparency of the process and expressed gratitude to the party’s national leadership, including National Chairman Ambassador Iliya Damagum and PDP Southwest leader, Governor Seyi Makinde, for ensuring a level playing field.
Oluyede pledged to rebuild trust and “reclaim Ekiti from the grip of misrule under the APC,” urging citizens to unite behind his candidacy.
“The spirit of maturity, sincerity, and fairness shown in this primary demonstrates that true change is coming to Ekiti,” he added.
While congratulating the winner, Ayeni noted that parts of the process were marred by “manipulation” and said he would explore internal party mechanisms to address his concerns.
PDP Ekiti State Chairman, Tunji Odeyemi, described the primary as a major step toward reclaiming the state from the ruling APC.
“To God be the glory, a winner has emerged, and that has been our target since I became chairman. Many thought this primary would lead to a crisis, but we have shown otherwise,” Odeyemi said.
“Only one person can occupy the seat. Now that a candidate has emerged, we must reconcile and move forward together to win the election. We have all it takes to take over the governance of Ekiti State.”
With Oluyede’s victory, the PDP now turns its focus to uniting the party and preparing for a high-stakes contest against the APC in the 2026 Ekiti governorship election.
