Oyo electoral body accepts Wike-backed PDP candidates for council polls

The Oyo State Independent Electoral Commission (OYSIEC) has accepted the candidates' list submitted by the People's Democratic Party (PDP) faction backed by Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, for the upcoming local government elections. OYSIEC received the names of the party's chairmanship and councillorship candidates for the December 29, 2026, council elections.

The decision follows a similar acceptance by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for the 2027 general elections. The PDP faction submitted its candidates' list to OYSIEC in a letter dated July 30, 2026, addressed to the commission's chairman. The party's state chairman, Professor Rahman Akinoso, stated that their primaries were conducted peacefully and in accordance with the rules governing the process.

OYSIEC's acceptance of the list is seen as support for INEC's stance in the ongoing PDP leadership dispute, and it also weakens the position of the rival PDP faction associated with Governor Seyi Makinde. With the accepted candidates' list, the Wike-backed PDP is prepared to contest the local government elections across Oyo State's 33 local government areas, scheduled for December 29, 2026.