Adebayo Adenrele
The Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ekiti State, backed by the Kabiru Turaki faction, Tunji Odeyemi has declared that he remains the legitimate Chairman recognised by the court in Ekiti.
This was after he described the legitimacy of a state congress, held over the weekend in the state capital, as unconstitutional and unrelated to the current party leadership in the state.
Recall that following the judgement of the Court of Appeal in Abuja, which nullified the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) national convention held in Ibadan and upheld the suspension of several national officers, the faction backed by FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike inaugurated new executives of the party in Ekiti, which produced Lanre Omolase as the Chairman.
Speaking with journalists in Ado-Ekiti, Tunji Odeyemi maintained that the existing State Working Committee (SWC) remains the duly elected leadership, having emerged from a congress conducted on October 1, 2025, under the supervision of the party’s National Working Committee (NWC).
According to him, the exercise was officially monitored by security agencies and produced a mandate valid for four years.
Odeyemi questioned the basis for organizing another congress barely six months into the tenure, stressing that no court order or legal pronouncement has dissolved the October 2025 congress.
The PDP Chairman also referenced a judgment of the Federal High Court in Abuja, which affirmed Wole Oluyede as the PDP governorship candidate in Ekiti State and directed the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to recognize him.
His words, “I want to state clearly that the congress held on Saturday this week has got nothing to do with our regime, our tenure, with me as chairman, and the entire PDP State Working Committee members of Ekiti State.
“We were elected on the 1st of October, 2025 through a state congress. Notice was given by the National Working Committee, with Alhaji Damagun as the National Chairman who signed the notification of the state congress, alongside the National Secretary and the then National Organising Secretary.
“They all signed and gave the order for the state congress which was held on the 1st of October last year and was duly monitored by the police, with reports submitted.
“That mandate is for four years. Here we are, less than six months later and you are talking of another congress. The big question is: has there been any court order or verdict dissolving our congresses? The answer is capital no.”So, in simple terms, the purported state congress held on Saturday has nothing to do with our mandate freely given on the 1st of October 2025.
“You are quite aware of the judgment of the Federal High Court, Abuja, where it was decided that Dr. Oluyede should be enlisted by INEC as the governorship candidate of Ekiti State. Initially, for reasons best known to INEC, they did not enlist him.
“That was why we went to court and we got a judgment directing INEC to enlist him as the PDP candidate in Ekiti State. By all standards, INEC has no right, either from the Constitution or the Electoral Act as amended, to refuse to enlist Dr. Olujide as the PDP candidate.
“Now that it has happened, there is nothing anybody can do about it. The error was there, the mistake was made on the part of INEC, but it has now been corrected. I can assure you that there has been substantial progress in the process of getting Dr. Oluyede, the PDP governorship candidate in Ekiti State, to move forward. The target is that by October 16, our candidate will be sworn in as the elected governor of the state, and that is what is going to happen”.
On his part, the party’s deputy governorship candidate, Deji Ogunsakin, expressed optimism about the party’s chances, citing the widespread dissatisfaction with the APC-led administration among residents.
He also dismissed claims of a leadership change within the party, describing those behind such moves as suspended members whose actions had already been invalidated by the courts.
According to him, any attempt to impose a caretaker arrangement is illegal and a distraction from the party’s preparations.
