The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate in the June 20, 2026 Ekiti State governorship election, Dr. Oluwole Oluyede, has formally withdrawn his petition challenging the re-election of Governor Biodun Oyebanji of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
At its first sitting in Ado Ekiti on Tuesday, the election petition tribunal struck out the case following Oluyede’s motion of withdrawal, which was moved by his counsel, Paul Komolafe, before the three-member panel led by Justice Abubakar Idris Kutigi.
Counsel for Governor Oyebanji, Dr. Onyechi Ikpeazu (SAN), and counsel for the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Sulaiman Ibrahim, did not oppose the withdrawal.
Speaking to journalists after the ruling, Oluyede explained that his decision was influenced by appeals from President Bola Tinubu and other advisers urging unity.
“It’s not easy to withdraw your petition when you know you have a case, but I took the action at the request of people important to me. They advised that everybody should come together and let the President win the next election and bring Ekiti forward,” he said.
Oluyede added that Governor Oyebanji had extended a hand of friendship, stressing that cooperation was necessary for the progress of Ekiti and Nigeria.
The tribunal adjourned to Thursday for rulings on pre-hearing reports and to September 14 for hearings on substantive petitions filed by the Social Democratic Party (SDP) candidate, Isaac Adebayo Alade, and Action Alliance (AA) candidate, Matthew Olu Omotoso, who are also contesting Oyebanji’s victory.
Oyebanji was declared winner of the election by INEC with 319,224 votes, while Oluyede polled 40,543. Other candidates, including ADC’s Dare Bejide, SDP’s Alade, and AA’s Omotoso, trailed with significantly fewer votes.
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