Oyo Electoral Commission Accepts Wike-Backed PDP Candidates for December Council Polls
ISSN: 2354-4481
By Nwakuche Sylvia Chinasa
IBADAN, Oyo State — The Oyo State Independent Electoral Commission (OYSIEC) has accepted the list of chairmanship and councillorship candidates submitted by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) faction backed by Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, for the December 29, 2026 local government elections in the state.
The development adds a new dimension to the ongoing leadership crisis within the PDP, as rival factions continue to contest control of the party’s national structure ahead of the 2027 general elections.
OYSIEC, the statutory body responsible for conducting local government elections in Oyo State, received the PDP’s list through a letter dated July 30, 2026.
The letter, addressed to the Chairman of OYSIEC and signed by the Oyo State PDP Chairman, Professor Rahman Akinoso, formally notified the commission of the party’s intention to participate in the forthcoming council elections.
The party also attached the names of its candidates for the chairmanship and councillorship positions across the state.
“Find the attached list of our candidates for the forthcoming Oyo State Local Government election. The primaries to elect the candidates were peacefully conducted in line with rules and regulation guiding the exercise,” the letter stated.
The acceptance of the list is significant because of the parallel leadership structures within the PDP, with one faction associated with the Wike camp and another backed by Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State.
The development is being viewed by political observers as an indication that OYSIEC has accepted the faction led by the Abdulrahman Mohammed-led National Working Committee as the structure authorised to nominate candidates for the election.
The issue has also featured prominently in the PDP’s preparations for the 2027 general elections, with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) dealing with the Abdulrahman-led National Working Committee in its recent electoral processes involving the party.
The PDP has been embroiled in a prolonged leadership crisis, with competing factions laying claim to the party’s national leadership and control of its structures in various states.
The dispute has produced legal battles and political disagreements among senior party figures, including Wike and several governors elected on the PDP platform.
Recent court decisions have also featured in arguments over which faction is entitled to represent the party and submit candidates for elections.
A PDP chieftain who spoke on the development said the acceptance of the candidates’ list by OYSIEC was consistent with the position being taken by INEC at the national level.
“With INEC already recognising the Abdulrahman-led NWC in the 2027 process, it would have been untenable for OYSIEC to act differently in a state election,” the party chieftain said.
The latest development clears the way for the faction that submitted the list to participate in the December council elections, subject to any subsequent legal or electoral intervention.
The election is expected to cover all 33 Local Government Areas in Oyo State, with candidates contesting for chairmanship and councillorship positions.
OYSIEC was constituted by the administration of Governor Seyi Makinde to oversee elections into the state’s local government councils.
As of the time of filing this report, efforts to obtain reactions from the Makinde-backed PDP faction and OYSIEC on the acceptance of the candidates’ list were unsuccessful.
The Oyo State local government elections are scheduled to hold on December 29, 2026.
By Nwakuche Sylvia Chinasa
