By Usman Oladimeji
The Court of Appeal sitting in Abuja has upheld the nomination of Adebayo Olugbenga Adedamola as the People’s Democratic Party, PDP, candidate for the August 15, 2026 Osun State governorship election.
In a judgment delivered on Thursday, the three-member panel directed the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to immediately include the PDP logo on the ballot papers for the election.
The court held that the PDP conducted its primary under INEC monitoring and duly submitted Adedamola’s name to the commission.
It also ruled that the access code required to upload nominations on the INEC portal was an administrative requirement and could not override the statutory obligation to submit a candidate’s name.
The case followed INEC’s earlier refusal to recognise Adedamola as the PDP candidate and its withholding of the access codes required for the nomination process.
Reacting to the judgment, the PDP Interim National Working Committee accused INEC of bias and partisan conduct, alleging that the commission’s actions were aimed at weakening opposition parties ahead of the election.
Despite the court ruling, the PDP said it would not field Adedamola, citing the limited time available for campaigning.
Following consultations with stakeholders, the party announced its support for the Accord Party candidate and incumbent governor, Ademola Adeleke, who was formerly a member of the PDP.
The PDP urged its members in Osun State to vote for Adeleke and protect their votes during the election.
The party also called on Nigerians to reject what it described as a “do or die” approach to elections, stressing that the outcome should reflect the will of the people.
