A governorship aspirant of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) in Oyo State, Olooye Adegboyega Taofeek Adegoke, has claimed that he played a role in having the names of himself and other candidates from his faction listed on the portal of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
Adegoke was seeing making the claim in a video from a meeting with party members and leaders in Ibadan on August 18, 2026, where he spoke about the status of the candidates ahead of the 2027 elections.
According to him, the names of the candidates, including those seeking seats in the House of Representatives and the Oyo State House of Assembly, were not initially reflected on the commission’s portal.
He said, “The names of the people here were not on the INEC portal. It was I and God who made it possible for our names to appear on the portal.”
The claim has added a new dimension to the lingering crisis over the ADC’s candidates in Oyo State, where rival factions have continued to dispute the party’s leadership and tickets for the 2027 elections.
While Adegoke said the uploading of names was due to his efforts, the claim has raised concerns among party stakeholders and other observers over how an aspirant could influence the uploading of candidates’ names on INEC’s portal.
Attention has also shifted to the commission for clarification on how the disputed names were submitted and published, and whether the process followed its established procedures.
INEC had not, as of the time of filing this report, publicly commented on Adegoke’s claim or explained the circumstances surrounding the appearance of the candidates’ names on its portal.
