• Gov Oyebanji to face 12 others as main opposition parties get disqualified• “We will meet in court,” PDP vows to fight exclusion

ADO-EKITI — The race for the Ekiti State Government House has taken a dramatic twist as the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Monday released the final list of candidates for the June 20, 2026 governorship election, noticeably excluding the two major opposition parties—the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the Social Democratic Party (SDP).

The exclusion has cleared the coast for the incumbent, Governor Biodun Oyebanji of the All Progressives Congress (APC), who will now contend against candidates from 12 other political parties.

According to the final document released by the electoral umpire, the names of the PDP flagbearer, Dr. Wole Oluyede, and his SDP counterpart, David Bankole, were conspicuously missing.

Sources within the commission attributed the omission to unresolved leadership tussles and pending litigation concerning the primary elections of both parties.

With the PDP and SDP—traditionally the strongest challengers to the ruling APC—out of the picture, political watchers say the dynamics of the June 20 poll have shifted significantly in favor of the incumbent.