...Says Anyone Contesting Under PDP Is Merely Writing an Examination Without a Certificate
As campaigns intensify ahead of the June 20 governorship election in Ekiti State, former Chairman of the Presidential Advisory Committee Against Corruption (PACAC), Professor Itse Sagay (SAN), has raised fresh concerns over the legal standing of candidates contesting on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Sagay, in a telephone interview with New Telegraph, argued that recent court decisions concerning the PDP's leadership crisis have placed the party's ability to sponsor candidates in serious doubt.
The senior advocate's comments followed the Supreme Court's judgment which reportedly upheld the nullification of the PDP's November 2025 National Convention held in Ibadan, Oyo State, as well as the dismissal of a cross-appeal filed by some executives of a faction within the party.
According to the legal scholar, the implication of the apex court's decision is that neither of the rival factions laying claim to the PDP's leadership currently enjoys judicial recognition.
Asked whether the PDP could validly participate in future elections under the prevailing circumstances, Sagay reportedly responded in the negative.
"If the Supreme Court has expressly endorsed the non-legitimacy of both branches, it means, for now, neither of them is legitimate," he said.
He argued that the absence of a recognised leadership structure creates uncertainty regarding the party's authority to conduct its affairs, including the sponsorship of candidates for elective offices.
"You can't de-legitimise both branches; you must recognise one; otherwise you are killing the party," Sagay stated.
The former PACAC chairman further warned that candidates emerging from any faction of the party could face legal challenges from opponents on the grounds that the platform that sponsored them lacked legitimacy.
According to him, "if recognition has not been given to any of them by the Supreme Court, neither of them can present a candidate."
Sagay maintained that until the leadership dispute is conclusively resolved and a legitimate structure recognised, aspirants contesting under the PDP platform could be embarking on what he described as "an examination without a certificate."
The development has added another dimension to political discussions surrounding the Ekiti governorship election, where the PDP candidate, Dr. Wole Oluyede, is seeking to challenge the incumbent administration led by Governor Biodun Oyebanji of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
While the PDP has concluded its campaigns, Sagay's remarks have intensified scrutiny of the party's internal crisis and its implications for candidates contesting under its platform.
Adding to the party’s political troubles, the much-publicised grand finale campaign rally was notably marked by the absence of several prominent national and state leaders, a development that has further fueled concerns over unity, coordination, and internal cohesion ahead of the election
With Professor Sagay questioning the legal foundation upon which PDP candidates are contesting and visible cracks continuing to emerge within the party's ranks, Dr. Wole Oluyede faces the difficult task of convincing voters that his ambition is backed by a stable and cohesive political platform.
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