PDP Risks Not Presenting Candidate For 2026 Ekiti Gov. Election, Postpones Saturday Primary

By Ayodele Oni

Coming few hours after it announced the postponement of its National Convention, a faction of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) has written to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) rescheduling the November 8,2025, date for the governorship primaries in Ekiti State.

The Acting National Chairman of the PDP, Alhaji Abdulrahman Mohammed had announced on Wednesday the suspension of the forthcoming National Convention, which was earlier scheduled to hold in Ibadan, Oyo State Capital.

The NWC led by Umar Damagun had fixed Saturday, November 8,

for the primaries to pick its candidate for the June 20, 2026 election in the state.

No fewer than four aspirants, a former Commissioner for Works, Mrs Funmilayo Ogun; a medical practitioner, Dr Wole Oluyede; an aviation expert, Peter Obafemi; and Dr Funso Ayeni had obtained nomination and expression of interest forms for the party’s ticket.

The National Working Committee of the PDP has been engulfed in crisis leading to emergence of two groups now claiming leadership of the party, with Umar Damagum and Mohammed Abdulrahman claiming National Chairman of the party.

In a letter obtained by our Correspondent on Thursday, which was signed by Abdulrahman and National Secretary, Samuel Anyanwu, and dated November 6, 2025, the party informed INEC that the postponement was due to some logistics reasons.

The letter reads, “We wish to inform you that the PDP Ekiti State Congress and Governorship primary slated for November 8th, 2025, has been postponed due to logistics reasons constraining this exercise.

“A new date will be formally communicated when decided. Kindly refer to our earlier letter to the commission on this subject matter.

Please accept the assurances of my esteemed regards.”

According to the timetable and guidelines released by INEC, political parties have the window between October 20 and November 10, 2025 to conduct their governorship primaries ahead of the June 20, 2026 election.

With this development, PDP risks not conducting valid primaries for the election, which might stop the party from presenting the candidate for the next year’s Ekiti poll.