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As the People’s Democratic Party(PDP) released the party’s delegate list for the primary election slated for Saturday, 8th, 2025, a gubernatorial aspirant, Mrs. Ogun Funmilaayo Theresa, has alleged manipulation of the list.
Addressing newsmen at her campaign office in Ado-Ekiti, the State capital, Mrs. Ogun, who hails from Orin-Ekiti in Ido Local Government Area of Ekiti State, expressed shock and disappointment over what she described as a deliberate attempt by some “spineless men” within the party to sabotage her political ambition by altering the authentic delegate list produced during the ad-hoc congresses held on October 20, 2025.
Calling on the INEC Chairman, Professor Ojo Amupitan, the PDP governorship hopeful urged the commission to remain neutral and refuse to recognize any primary election that uses the doctored delegate list, adding that this would be his true test as INEC Chairman.
According to her, the congresses were observed by officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), who also monitored the entire process and issued certified true copies of their reports. She revealed that the names of legitimate delegates who participated in the congresses and purchased nomination forms were later replaced with individuals who neither obtained forms nor appeared at the congress venues.
“We were all at the party secretariat when the ad-hoc congress was conducted on October 20. INEC officials were present and observed the process. Names were submitted to the panel led by Senator Onyeghi, and everything went smoothly.”
However, she said to her greatest surprise, rumours started circulating that the list of delegates had been manipulated.
“We thought it was a joke until the early hours of this morning, when the list was officially released. I was shocked to discover that even in my own ward, where I am a delegate, my name was completely removed.
“The same thing happened in several other wards across the state,” Ogun stated.
Describing the situation as appalling and shameful, she queried how individuals who never obtained nomination forms could suddenly appear as winners on the official delegate list.
“Before you can participate in a congress, you must obtain a nomination form. For people who didn’t buy forms to now appear on the list as winners is the height of impunity,” she maintained.
The governorship aspirant accused some of the party leaders of deliberately tampering with the delegate list to frustrate her chances, claiming that her rising popularity at the grassroots level had instilled fear among her opponents.
“They are so afraid of me being a woman that they went as far as changing the entire list of my local government, Ido/Osi LGA, and even removed my name from the delegate list of my ward.
“I don’t have godfathers or ‘former this, former that’ backing me. I also don’t have smoked dollars to bribe anyone, but I have the overwhelming support of the grassroots and party faithful across all 16 local government areas of the state.
“That’s why they are resorting to underhand tactics. Let them release the right list and meet me on the field, I will defeat all of them put together”.
“Prove to Nigerians that you are ready to be a neutral and unbiased umpire by boycotting any primary that does not use the list of delegates that emerged from the ad-hoc congress observed by INEC. Your presence at the congress was not for mere formality but to give credibility to the process”.
Stressing further, Ogun explained that INEC might not have the power to interfere directly in intra-party affairs but has the moral duty to avoid lending legitimacy to a process that could tarnish its reputation.
“The delegate list is an internal party matter, but since the party has chosen to be undemocratic, it is now up to INEC to act. Will INEC choose to be an accomplice in this murder of democracy or prove that it truly wants to uphold democratic principles in Nigeria?” she queried.
Ogun disclosed that she had already written to the INEC and the PDP National Secretariat, forwarding all the certified true copies of the authentic results observed and monitored by INEC officials on the field. She emphasized that she has taken all necessary legal steps, including engaging her legal advisers, to demand transparency from the party.
“I even reached out to the Directorate of Organization and Mobilization to request copies of the three ad-hoc congress panel reports and the appeal panel report. Up till now, I haven’t received any. This is pure injustice”.
She warned that if the PDP fails to address the issue before the scheduled primaries, she would not hesitate to take the matter to court.
“This is democracy, and it is my civic right to contest. I obtained my expression of interest and nomination forms, followed all due process, and carried out consultations across the state. If the party continues to manipulate the process despite our complaints, we will take legal action,” she vowed.
Also speaking at the briefing, Chairman of the PDP Local Government Chairmen, Aare Oluyemi Ajanaku, confirmed Ogun’s allegations, describing the situation as “shameful and worrisome.”
According to Ajanaku, the congress was conducted under the supervision of Senator Ningi, with INEC, the police, and DSS officers in attendance.
He said, though results were properly recorded and signed by all relevant officials, the final delegate list released by the party contained strange names of people who neither purchased nomination forms nor participated in the process.
“In my local government, we have six wards. We set up a committee of 20 leaders per ward to zone the delegates. Everything was done transparently. But when the list was released, all the names of those who collected forms and participated were replaced with people we don’t even know,” Oriyemi lamented.
“Our people are angry. Some have even gone to the police station to report. It’s funny and so sad that a party we are trying to rebuild is being destroyed from within by a few selfish individuals,” he added.
He also revealed that the party leaders had earlier written and submitted a formal petition to the national secretariat warning against tampering with the authentic list, but received no response.
“Ekiti is winnable for PDP if we are united and transparent. But with this level of manipulation, how do you persuade someone whose name has been removed from the list to still vote?” He questioned.
Both Ogun and Ajanaku, therefore, called on the PDP national leadership to immediately investigate the alleged alteration of delegate lists and restore the authentic names that emerged from the INEC-observed ad-hoc congresses held across the 16 local government areas of Ekiti State.
As the Ekiti PDP primary election approaches, Ogun insists that she won’t relent, emphasizing that her ambition represents not just her personal dream but also a fight for fairness, justice, and gender inclusion in Nigeria’s democratic process.
“Since the beginning of this democratic era, no woman has ever been elected governor in Nigeria. I am determined to change that narrative through due process. But what they are doing now is an attempt to shut me out.
“I will not allow it. It is time for all of us to stand for the truth. It is time to stand for democracy”, Ogun declared
