Politics
Osun 2026: INEC Clears 14 Parties for Governorship Race, PDP, and LP Missing
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has released the final list of candidates for the 2026 Osun State governorship election, with the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the Labour Party (LP) conspicuously missing from the list.
According to the electoral body, the list contains candidates and their running mates from 14 political parties cleared to contest the election scheduled for August 8, 2026.
INEC disclosed that the final list was published in line with its timetable and schedule of activities for the election. The commission explained that only political parties that successfully conducted their primaries and uploaded the details of their candidates and running mates within the stipulated deadline were included in the final list.
The parties cleared for the poll include Accord (A), Action Alliance (AA), African Action Congress (AAC), African Democratic Congress (ADC), Action Democratic Party (ADP), All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), All Progressives Congress (APC), Allied Peoples Movement (APM), Action Peoples Party (APP), Boot Party (BP), New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), Peoples Redemption Party (PRP), Young Progressive Party (YPP), and Zenith Labour Party (ZLP).
INEC’s Public Relations Officer in Osun State, Musa Olurode, stated that the publication of the final list marks a critical step in preparations for the governorship poll, adding that the commission remains committed to conducting a credible election.
The absence of the PDP and LP, two parties that participated in previous elections in the state, has sparked discussions in political circles about the internal processes within the parties and their preparedness for the upcoming contest.
The Osun governorship election is expected to be closely contested among the participating parties as political activities intensify ahead of the August poll.
The Delta State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has commenced its local government congresses across the state, as party leaders insist that the PDP remains a strong political force despite recent defections and internal challenges.
The congresses, which are being conducted across the state’s local government areas, are part of the party’s ongoing efforts to rebuild its grassroots structures and reposition itself ahead of future elections. Party leaders say the exercise follows the successful completion of ward congresses earlier in the week.
Speaking during an enlarged stakeholders’ meeting in Asaba, former Deputy Governor of Delta State, Kingsley Otuaro, said the congress process represents a deliberate effort to strengthen the party’s structures from the grassroots level.
Otuaro urged members to remain committed to the party despite political challenges, stressing that the PDP is still firmly rooted in the state.
According to him, the party leadership has remained committed to operating within the framework of the law and the party’s constitution throughout the congress process. He expressed confidence that the PDP would emerge stronger from the ongoing reorganization.
Also speaking, former Delta State Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Peter Mrakpor, dismissed claims that the PDP had collapsed in the state following the defection of some key political figures to other parties.
Mrakpor maintained that many members who remained in the PDP did so out of conviction, insisting that the party is still alive and relevant in the state’s political landscape.
Chairman of the PDP Congress Panel for Delta State, Austin Nwachukwu, said the congresses are being conducted in line with directives from the party’s national leadership.
He explained that a local organizing committee and monitoring teams had been deployed to ensure that the congresses are conducted smoothly and in accordance with party guidelines across the state.
Nwachukwu also dismissed suggestions that the PDP structure in Delta State had been completely depleted, noting that the large turnout of party faithful at the stakeholders’ meeting demonstrated that the party still enjoys significant support.
The PDP leadership expressed optimism that some members who recently defected to other parties might eventually return after realizing that the political environment elsewhere may not meet their expectations.
As political activities gradually gather momentum ahead of the 2027 elections, the Ndudi Godwin Elumelu (NGE) Campaign Council has announced a series of strategic consultations aimed at strengthening engagement with party stakeholders at the grassroots.
The consultations, according to a notice issued by the Secretary of the Campaign Council, Ogbueshi Chike Ifesiokwu, will involve interactions with party executive members and political leaders across four Local Government Areas in Delta State — Aniocha North, Aniocha South, Oshimili North and Oshimili South.
The council explained that the initiative forms part of efforts to reinforce internal cohesion within the party structure while also mobilising key stakeholders whose support is considered vital to the success of the campaign ahead of the next electoral cycle.
Under the engagement plan, meetings with party executives will take place first, allowing the campaign council to interface directly with those responsible for coordinating party affairs at the local level.
Following these sessions, the council will hold separate consultations with influential political leaders across the same local government areas to further broaden support and encourage collective participation in the campaign’s activities.
Ifesiokwu noted that the consultations are designed to ensure inclusiveness and strengthen collaboration among stakeholders as preparations intensify ahead of the 2027 polls.
He urged all invited party officials and leaders to attend the meetings promptly and contribute meaningfully to discussions that will shape the direction of the campaign.
Schedule of Engagements
Interaction with Party Executive Members
March 10, 2026 – Aniocha North (11:00am)
March 11, 2026 – Aniocha South (11:00am)
March 12, 2026 – Oshimili North (12:00 noon)
March 13, 2026 – Oshimili South (11:00am)
Interaction with Political Leaders
March 17, 2026 – Aniocha North (11:00am)
March 18, 2026 – Aniocha South (11:00am)
March 19, 2026 – Oshimili North (12:00 noon)
March 20, 2026 – Oshimili South (11:00am).
The meetings are expected to set the tone for wider mobilisation and coordination as the campaign council intensifies preparations for the 2027 political season.
A Federal High Court in Abuja has dismissed a suit filed by Dumebi Kachikwu and four others challenging the leadership of the African Democratic Congress (ADC).
Delivering judgment on Friday, Justice Joyce Abdulmalik ruled that the issues raised in the suit relate to the internal leadership and membership of a political party and are therefore non-justiciable, declining jurisdiction to entertain the case.
The suit, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1331/2025 (Dumebi Kachikwu & 4 Ors. vs. INEC & 5 Ors.), followed preliminary objections filed by counsel representing the ADC, its National Chairman David Mark, and the party’s National Secretary Rauf Aregbesola.
Reacting to the ruling, ADC National Publicity Secretary Bolaji Abdullahi described the judgment as a victory for the rule of law and an affirmation of the constitutional right of political parties to manage their internal affairs without undue interference.
Abdullahi said the judgment should encourage Nigerians and political leaders who have been “sitting on the fence” to join the party through its ongoing online registration exercise.
He also urged the judiciary to remain apolitical in the interest of Nigeria’s democracy while assuring that the ADC would continue to resist attempts to destabilise the party or undermine its internal processes.
According to him, the party remains committed to building a strong and credible opposition capable of offering Nigerians a viable political alternative ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Abdullahi further encouraged Nigerians who believe in democratic renewal and responsible leadership to join the party through its registration portal and participate in efforts to rebuild the country.