Ahead of this Saturday’s Ondo State governorship election, the Labor Party has called on Nigerians, especially voters, to ignore reports claiming that the party’s candidate, Olusola Ebiseni, has been disqualified.
The report stems from the recent ruling by the Abuja Division of the Court of Appeal, which on Wednesday disqualified Mr Ebiseni as the Labor candidate.
In a judgment led by Justice Hamma Baruka and handed down by Justice Adebukola Banjoko, the three-judge panel decided on the appeal marked CA/ABJ/CV/1172/2024. “The appeal brought by the Labor Party against Chief Justice Olusola Ebiseni, and two others, has been allowed.”
Earlier, Justice Emeka Nwaite of the Federal High Court in Abuja had ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to recognize Olusola Ebiseni and Ezekiel Oude as Labor Party’s gubernatorial and deputy gubernatorial candidates. .
Justice Nwaito maintained that the second primary election that elected Ebiseni and Oude was valid and ordered INEC to uphold it.
In his judgment, Judge Nwite highlighted that Mr Ebiseni paid N20 million for the nomination form, which was duly issued, leading to the second primary election.
It also noted that the Labor Party had instructed Ebiseni to pay Festus Olorunfemi £5 million as compensation for withdrawing from the campaign, further confirming Ebiseni’s legitimacy as a candidate.
As a result, Justice Nwaito ordered INEC to recognize and publish the names of Mr. Ebiseni and Mr. Oudeh as the official candidates of the Labor Party for the November 16 elections.
However, a recent decision by the Court of Appeal has caused confusion.
Ondo Labor Party Chairman retorts, “The claim is a lie, the issue has been resolved”
Speaking to DAILY POST on Thursday, the Ondo Labor Party Chairman, Mrs. Remilekun Ojo, dismissed the disqualification claims, insisting that she had already addressed these issues in an internal resolution before the court’s judgment.
“The reports are all lies,” he said, criticizing the reports circulating as false.
Mrs Ojo claimed that politicians from other parties were trying to cause chaos within the Labor Party as they perceived the party as a threat to the upcoming elections.
