BY OLUWA RAISE-ME-UP
A governorship aspirant of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ekiti State, Mrs. Ogun Funmilayo Theresa , has raised allegations of manipulation of the party’s delegate list ahead of the 2026 primary election, schedule for Saturday 8, 2025.
Addressing journalists on Friday at her campaign office in Ajilosun Ado-Ekiti, Ogun described the newly released delegate list as “fraudulent,” claiming it does not reflect the outcomes of the ad-hoc congresses held on October 20, 2025, which were monitored by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
Ogun, who hails from Orin Ekiti in Ido/Osi Local Government Area, alleged that valid delegates who bought nomination forms and participated in the congress were replaced with people who never took part in the exercise.
“To my surprise, the list released this morning did not only remove delegates from several wards, including my own, but even excluded my name where I was duly elected,” she said. “This is a deliberate attempt to undermine my candidacy because of my growing support across the state.”
She accused some party leaders of orchestrating the alleged alteration out of fear of her influence among grassroots members.
“I don’t have godfathers or bags of dollars. What I have is the support of ordinary party members across all 16 local governments. If they are confident, let them return the real list and meet me at the field,” she said.
Ogun urged the INEC Chairman, Prof. Ojo Amupitan, not to recognize any primary election conducted with doctored delegate list, insisting that the commission has a duty to protect the integrity of the electoral process.
“It may be an internal party process, but INEC must not lend legitimacy to injustice,” she said. She noted that she has already forwarded certified documents to both INEC and the PDP National Secretariat, and has consulted legal advisers.
Also speaking, the Chairman of PDP Local Government Chairmen Forum in the state, Hon Aare Oluyemi Ajanaku, corroborated Ogun’s claims, describing the situation as “shameful and dangerous for the party”.
“Those who bought forms and participated have been replaced with unknown names. This is not only unjust but also damaging to our chances in the general election,” he said.
Both Ogun and Ajanaku urged the PDP national leadership to urgently review and correct what they termed a “gross violation” of democratic procedure.
Ogun vowed to pursue legal action if the matter is not resolved before the primaries.
“My aspiration is not just for myself but for fairness, justice, and increased inclusion of women in governance. No woman has ever been elected governor in Nigeria. I am determined to fight this injustice. We must stand for democracy,” she declared.