A Federal High Court sitting in Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State, has nullified Wole Oluyede’s nomination as the flagbearer of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and ordered the party to conduct a fresh primary election.
Delivering judgment on Tuesday, Justice Babs Kuewumi upheld the complaints of irregularities raised by one of the aspirants, Funso Ayeni, over the conduct of the party’s primary election. Ayeni had approached the court to challenge the process, alleging that the list of approved delegates was unlawfully altered on the day of the election, a development he said undermined the integrity and credibility of the exercise.
In his ruling, Justice Kuewumi held that the primary was characterised by gross abuse of process and clear violations of the PDP’s electoral guidelines. The court also found that the conduct of the exercise breached the fundamental principles governing internal party democracy.
The judge ruled that the alleged alteration of the delegate list on the day of the primary constituted a serious procedural defect, noting that such actions could substantially affect the outcome of the election. He added that political parties are bound by their own constitutions and guidelines and must conduct their affairs transparently and lawfully.
Justice Kuewumi further held that the irregularities identified were inconsistent not only with the PDP constitution but also with the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, which he said is binding on all individuals, organisations, and institutions in the country.
Consequently, the court set aside Oluyede’s nomination and ordered the PDP to conduct a fresh primary election in strict compliance with its guidelines and relevant constitutional provisions.
The judgment represents a significant development for the party in Ekiti State, as it reopens the contest for its ticket and compels the PDP to return to the drawing board ahead of future electoral activities. As of the time of filing this report, the PDP had yet to issue an official reaction to the court’s decision.
