The internal crisis within the Oyo State chapter of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) reached a climax today as the sole Oyo State gubernatorial candidate of the party, Oloye Saheed Oladele, initiated legal proceedings against the party leadership and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) over the handling of its governorship candidate nomination.

The suit, filed by Barrister Akinlolu Oyebamiji of AOC Chambers on behalf of Oladele, challenges the submission of Mr. Michael Okunlade’s name to the electoral umpire as the party’s consensus Oyo State gubernatorial candidate for the 2027 general election.

Speaking outside the courtroom, Oyebamiji argued that the substitution and nomination process breached statutory regulations, specifically citing non-compliance with the Electoral Act 2026.

The legal team maintained that Okunlade, who currently serves as the Oyo State Chairman of the party, did not obtain the requisite expression of interest and nomination forms prior to the expiration of the deadline set by the commission.

“We are before the court to challenge the decision of the Social Democratic Party to present Mr. Michael Okunlade as a consensus candidate,” Oyebamiji stated. “The foundation of candidate nomination requires adherence to statutory procedures. In this instance, no nomination form was obtained, nor did our client execute any instrument of withdrawal or consent as required by law.”

The applicant further contends that subsequent efforts by the state party executives to introduce external contenders, including the recent unveiling on August 17, represents an unlawful attempt to trade the governorship ticket with third parties.

The legal reliefs sought include; a judicial declaration that the imposition of Mr. Michael Okunlade as the SDP consensus candidate in Oyo State, without the consensus or consent of the only participating aspirant during the INEC nomination window, is null, void, and without legal effect, an order of perpetual injunction restraining Okunlade from presenting or parading himself as the Oyo State gubernatorial candidate of the party for the 2027 elections, an order restraining INEC and the national executives of the SDP from recognizing Okunlade as the validly nominated candidate, an order directing the party and the electoral commission to recognize Oloye Saheed Oladele as the sole governorship candidate for the Oyo State gubernatorial election, and a court order directing INEC to upload the name of Oloye Saheed Oladele onto its candidate portal for the upcoming election cycle.

The court is scheduled to fix a date to hear the preliminary applications filed by the plaintiff.