With just three days to the August 15 governorship election in Osun State, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has added the Social Democratic Party (SDP) candidate, Dr. Francis Olugbenga Ajala, and his running mate, Faseke Babajimi Oladipo, to the ballot.
The development follows a Federal High Court judgment in Abuja directing INEC to recognise, accept, upload, process and publish Ajala’s name and particulars as the SDP governorship candidate.
INEC said it has commenced the reproduction of ballot papers and result sheets to accommodate the SDP candidates, in compliance with the court order delivered on July 22, 2026, in Suit No. FHC/ABJ/CS/344/2026.
The inclusion of Ajala is expected to bring the number of political parties participating in Saturday’s election to 15, following earlier preparations based on a 14-party field. INEC had previously indicated that 14 political parties were set to participate in the poll.
The commission said the reproduced ballot papers are expected to arrive in Osun State on Thursday, August 13, and will subsequently be distributed to its Local Government Area offices across the state in line with its established procedures for handling sensitive electoral materials.
Result sheets are also being reproduced to reflect the late addition.
The court ruling and INEC’s subsequent compliance have introduced a fresh twist to an election already entering its final stretch, with parties winding down campaigns and voters preparing to cast their ballots.
Ajala’s inclusion also resolves, at least for the moment, a major uncertainty surrounding the SDP’s participation in the governorship contest. The party had previously maintained that Ajala remained its valid candidate amid disputes surrounding its leadership and the nomination process.
Despite the late adjustment, INEC has assured political parties, candidates and voters that the changes will not disrupt its preparations for the election.
The commission has maintained that it remains fully committed to conducting a free, fair, credible and transparent poll on Saturday, August 15.
The Osun election is one of the major off-cycle governorship contests scheduled for 2026 and has attracted intense political activity from the major parties in the run-up to voting day.
With the SDP now formally restored to the ballot, attention will shift to whether the commission can complete the distribution of the revised electoral materials across the state without affecting the smooth conduct of Saturday’s election.
