The Court of Appeal sitting in Akure has overturned the judgment of the Federal High Court in Ado-Ekiti which nullified the governorship primary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ekiti State.
In its ruling delivered on Thursday, the appellate court affirmed Wole Oluyede as the duly nominated governorship candidate of the PDP for the forthcoming 2026 election in the state.
The three-man panel of the court, led by Justice Peter Chudi Obiorah, with Justices Jane Esienanwan Inyang and Peter O. Affen as members, unanimously set aside the earlier decision of the Federal High Court which had invalidated the party’s primary election.
The appellate court held that the PDP governorship primary election conducted by the party’s National Working Committee (NWC) under the leadership of Kabiru Tanimu Turaki complied substantially with the provisions of the party’s constitution as well as the Electoral Act 2022.
According to the court, the primary election held between November 8 and 9, 2025, which produced Oluyede as the party’s flag bearer, was validly conducted and in line with established electoral guidelines.
It will be recalled that the Federal High Court in Ado-Ekiti had on January 13, 2026, nullified the PDP governorship primary in the state, a decision that triggered fresh legal disputes within the party.
Dissatisfied with the judgment, the PDP approached the Court of Appeal seeking to overturn the ruling of the lower court.
However, in its decision on Thursday, the appellate court allowed the appeal and set aside the judgment of the Federal High Court, thereby restoring the outcome of the primary election that produced Oluyede as the party’s governorship candidate.
The ruling effectively resolves months of legal tussle surrounding the PDP’s governorship ticket ahead of the 2026 Ekiti State governorship election.