By Ademola Ade
The Nigeria Democratic Congress, NDC, in Ekiti State has warned its presidential candidate, Peter Obi, that he risks defeat in the 2027 general elections if the controversy over the exclusion of two of the party’s senatorial candidates is not urgently resolved.
The warning came yesterday as members and supporters of the party protested at the office of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, in Ekiti State over the omission of its candidates for Ekiti North and Ekiti South Senatorial Districts from the commission’s final list for the 2027 elections.
The protesters demanded the immediate restoration of the names of Prince Adeyinka Ali, who they identified as the party’s candidate for Ekiti North, and Dr Ayokunle Olusegun, its candidate for Ekiti South.
According to them, Ali and Olusegun emerged from the party’s senatorial primaries conducted on May 29, 2026, and were subsequently recognised by INEC as the party’s candidates for the two districts.
They, however, alleged that the names were later omitted from INEC’s final list, describing the development as unacceptable and capable of undermining the party’s electoral chances in 2027.
Speaking on behalf of Olusegun, Adediji Segun said the protest was aimed at demanding the restoration of the two candidates to INEC’s list.
He questioned the basis for their exclusion, saying the affected candidates had invested heavily in the party.
“We want INEC to integrate their names back to the lists. They are the financiers of the party and one person cannot just wake up one day and be deciding for us. We don’t want that,” he said.
Also speaking, the leader of the Obedient Movement in Ekiti State, Emmanuel Olamidotun, said the group would resist what he described as injustice against any NDC candidate.
Olamidotun called for disciplinary action against David Adesua, whom he accused of undermining the party’s candidates, describing him as a “cancer” within the NDC.
He urged the party leadership to respect the outcome of its primary elections and avoid actions capable of weakening the confidence of members and supporters ahead of the 2027 elections.
Olamidotun further claimed that INEC had earlier confirmed Olusegun and Ali as the party’s candidates for Ekiti South and Ekiti North respectively, making their omission from the final list a matter of serious concern.
The NDC Publicity Secretary in Ekiti State, Olawale Olatunde, warned that failure to resolve the controversy could damage the party’s electoral prospects.
“If those names are not returned, Obi should prepare for failure come 2027 general,” Olatunde said.
The protesters called on INEC to urgently review the circumstances surrounding the omission of the two names and ensure that the candidates who emerged from the party’s primary elections are reflected in the final list.
However, no official of the commission received the protesters, and INEC had not issued an official statement on the controversy as of the time of filing this report.
