The Oyo State Independent Electoral Commission (OYSIEC) has accepted the list of chairmanship and councillorship candidates submitted by the Nyesom Wike-backed faction of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the forthcoming local government elections in the state.
This comes months after the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) took a similar position in the ongoing processes for the 2027 general election by dealing with the Abdulrahman Mohammed-led national working committee (NWC) as the authentic leadership of the PDP at the national level.
OYSIEC, constituted by Seyi Makinde, governor of Oyo, received the PDP’s list of candidates of the PDP through a letter dated July 30, 2026.
Copy of the letter was made available to journalists in Ibadan, the Oyo state capital, on Sunday, by the directorate of media of the state chapter.
In the letter addressed to the chairman of OYSIEC and signed by Rahman Akinoso, the state chairman, the party notified the electoral umpire of its participation in the December 29 council polls and submitted the full list of its nominated candidates.
“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 reads in part.
This decision is being interpreted as OYSIEC aligning with the position of INEC on the PDP crisis, and as a significant shift from recognition of the rival group loyal to Governor Makinde and led by Tanimu Turaki.
Political observers say the OYSIEC’s decision to accept the Wike-backed PDP candidates may not be unconnected with recent court judgements that affirmed the legitimacy of the Abdulrahman-led structure and warned against disenfranchising any political party ahead of elections.
“With INEC already recognizing the Abdulrahman-led NWC in the 2027 process, it would have been untenable for OYSIEC to act differently in a state election,” a party chieftain told our correspondent.
With the receipt of the candidates’ list, the coast is now clear for the Wike-backed PDP to participate fully in the local government elections across the 33 LGAs in Oyo state.
Efforts to get reaction from the Makinde-backed group and OYSIEC as of press time were unsuccessful.
The local government election is scheduled to hold on December 29, 2026.
