Ekiti 2026: SDP contesting elections despite INEC refusal to open portal for polling agents upload

The National Headquarters of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) has rejected what it called a fabricated story of alleged withdrawal of the party from the Ekiti State governorship election scheduled to hold on Saturday 20 June 2026.

Araba Rufus Aiyenigba, National Publicity Secretary, SDP on Friday in a statement said that the reported withdrawal of the party Is the handiwork of APC and their impostors.

“The Ekiti electorate and members of the general public are hereby assured by the National Chairman, Prof. Sadiq Umar Abubakar Gombe and National Working Committee (NWC), that the SDP is listed on the ballot and its candidate, Ambassador Isaac Adebayo Alade, the validly nominated Candidate who is recognised by the INEC, particularly with his being one of the governorship candidates who signed the INEC Peace-Pact, remains strongly in contention for the election.

“The false statement credited to a group of political jobbers should be discountenanced by the people of Ekiti State. The imperative of this disclaimer is not only to correct the deliberate disinformation by those fellows, but to also tell the public that the authors of the falsehood are undeniable political merchants and agents of the ruling party, led by an expelled former national chairman, Shehu Musa Gabam, who masterminded the wrongful and illegal placement of, and pushing the name of a fellow who is unknown to the party in the public domain as our candidate,” Aiyenigba said.

According to him, it is instructive to note and inform the public that INEC formally provided access code to the party’s National Secretariat, for the uploading of the names of Polling Unit Agents of the SDP, but that inexplicably, officials of the Commission at the national headquarters bluntly refused to open the portal to enable them do the uploading of the party agents for the governorship election.

He said, “The SDP hereby declares that an election such as this particular one, in which the actions and inactions of the electoral umpire show unhidden bias, the outcome becomes a nullity, considering that the deliberate locking out of agents of a major opposition party like the SDP by the Commission, erodes the credibility of the election.

“The Party will certainly not accept the disenfranchisement that is obviously orchestrated by APC, the rulling party.

“The SDP, as a national political party, remains the credible alternative platform that will deliver good governance, guarantee equitable socio-economic development, and shared-prosperity to all the people of Ekiti State, irrespective of creed and social status.

“The SDP, with its unparalleled records of contributions to the deepening of our political jurisprudence and democratic consolidation, will continue to be in the vanguard of promoting clean, fair and credible electoral processes and outcomes, as well as enhanced sustainable development and national transformation.”