- Following a Federal High Court ruling in Abuja, the Independent National Electoral Commission has officially included Dr. Olugbenga Ajala and his running mate, Faseke Oladipo, on the Osun governorship ballot.
- The addition of the Social Democratic Party raises the total number of political parties contesting Saturday’s off-cycle governorship election to fifteen.
- Sensitive election materials, including reprinted ballot papers and updated result sheets, are being distributed from the Central Bank of Nigeria branch in Osogbo across all thirty local government areas.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has completed the re-printing of official ballot papers and result sheets for the Osun State governorship election to accommodate the candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), Dr. Olugbenga Ajala, and his running mate, Faseke Oladipo, just three days prior to the poll.
Eko Hot Blog reports that the mandatory electoral adjustment follows a decisive ruling by the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja, which directed the commission to forthwith recognize, accept, upload, process, and publish the personal particulars and candidature of Dr. Ajala for the upcoming gubernatorial election.
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The court order was delivered in Suit No. FHC/ABJ/CS/344/2026, filed jointly by the Social Democratic Party and Ajala against the Independent National Electoral Commission.
Confirming the development in an official statement issued on Wednesday, National Commissioner and Chairman of the Information and Voter Education Committee, Mohammed Haruna, explained that the electoral umpire complied strictly with the judicial directive by reordering the printing of ballot papers and corresponding result sheets.
Haruna noted that the inclusion of the SDP candidate officially expands the field of political parties competing in the Saturday, August 15, 2026 poll to fifteen.
Simultaneously, the commission has finalized arrangements to commence the distribution of sensitive election materials to all thirty local government areas across Osun State.
Speaking during a telephone interview, the state spokesperson for the commission, Musa Olurode, confirmed that the deployment exercise would take place on the premises of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) in Osogbo, the state capital, with accredited journalists, security agencies, and party agents in attendance to witness the handover.
Reacting to his late addition to the official ballot, the SDP candidate, Dr. Olugbenga Ajala, expressed joy and optimism regarding his party’s prospects, while acknowledging the severe constraints imposed by the compressed timeframe.
Speaking shortly after the official announcement, Ajala noted that the prolonged legal battle had deprived his team of valuable campaign time relative to opponents who had been on the field for months.
Ajala likened the situation to entering a hundred-meter dash when rival contestants had already covered seventy-five meters.
However, he emphasized that despite having less than forty-eight hours remaining before the official end of campaigning, his party remained enthusiastic and resolute in its bid to mobilize voters across the state’s three senatorial districts.
He expressed confidence that the electorate in Osun State remains eager for an alternative political platform capable of driving socio-economic transformation.
INEC reaffirmed its unwavering commitment to providing a level playing field and ensuring that the Osun gubernatorial election is conducted in a free, fair, transparent, and credible manner.
The commission urged all political stakeholders, candidates, and security personnel to adhere strictly to statutory guidelines and maintain peace throughout the voting and collation process across all polling units in the state.
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