Ekiti PDP Guber Aspirant, Funmilayo Ogun, Alleges ‘Brazen Manipulation’ of Delegates’ List Ahead of Primary

The fragile unity within the Ekiti State chapter of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) was severely tested today, Friday, November 7, 2025, as governorship aspirant Mrs. Funmilayo Theresa Ogun publicly raised the alarm over what she termed a “brazen manipulation” of the delegates’ list ahead of the party’s forthcoming primary election.

Addressing journalists in Ado-Ekiti, Ogun, who hails from Orin-Ekiti in Ido/Osi Local Government Area, expressed profound disappointment over the alleged substitution of authentic delegates who emerged from the ad-hoc congresses held on October 20, 2025.

“We were all present at the party secretariat when the delegate congress was held. INEC officials observed the process, and everything was properly documented,” Ogun lamented. “But to my shock, when the list was released early this morning, my name and those of many legitimate delegates had been completely removed even in my own ward where I am a delegate.”

Calculated Attempt to Frustrate Female Contender

The governorship hopeful claimed the names of those lawfully elected were replaced with individuals who neither obtained nomination forms nor participated in the original exercise. She described the act as “a calculated attempt by some spineless men within the party to frustrate my ambition and undermine the will of the people.”

Ogun directly accused certain party leaders of deliberately tampering with the list, citing fear of her rising popularity at the grassroots, especially as a female contender in a male-dominated race.

“They are intimidated by my rising support across the 16 local government areas. I don’t have godfathers or access to dollars to bribe anyone, but I have the genuine backing of the people. That’s why they are resorting to manipulation,” she stated, issuing a challenge: “Let them release the correct list and meet me on the field, I will defeat them all.”

Legal Action Threatened

The former Works Commissioner disclosed that she has already lodged a formal petition with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the PDP National Secretariat, attaching certified true copies of the authentic congress results observed by INEC officials.

While acknowledging INEC’s limited power over internal party affairs, Ogun urged the commission to decline to monitor any primary election based on the alleged doctored list to protect democratic integrity. She further disclosed that her legal team has been briefed and vowed to seek judicial remedy if the PDP leadership fails to address the “illegality” before the primary.

Corroborating Ogun’s claims, Oluyemi Ajanaku, Chairman of the Forum of PDP Local Government Chairmen in Ekiti, described the development as “worrisome, disgraceful, and dangerous to the party’s unity,” warning that the unchecked manipulation could jeopardize the party’s chances in the coming governorship election.