Afenifere secretary Ebiseni dumps PDP, named Ondo LP candidate

The Secretary General of Afenifere, Olusola Ebiseni, has emerged as the governorship candidate of the Labour Party ahead of the off-cycle governorship election in Ondo State.

Ebiseni, who lost the ticket of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) during the primaries in April, picked a chieftain of the party and former Commissioner for Youths and Sports, Dayo Awude, as his running mate.

The Afenifere’s scribe informed newsmen in Akure, the state capital, that he had since July 2024 picked the ticket of the Labour Party.

Flanked by the national leadership of the Labour Party, which includes Comrade Abdulwaheed Omar, Dr Kingsley Okundaye, Prof Theophilus Ndubuaku, and Folu Bademosi, who are members of the National Transition Committee (NTC), Ebiseni vowed to rebuild and inject fresh breath into the state.

He said that “I formally present myself today for this Nehemiah Project of rebuilding and healing our beautiful state and rescuing its amiable people from the bitterness that characterised the two terms of the out-going administration and to proclaim relief from anxiety by innocent civil servants who are apprehensive of what fate may befall them for their justifiable loyalty to the then head of state.

“To provide rooms in the family party for politicians who, in fear, are only raising their hands in surrender; to give lasting assurance to the state legislators of the repercussions of having twice overwhelmingly voted for impeachments that were saved by the judiciary; and to give traditional rulers a sigh of relief.

According to Ebiseni, his administration would also “allow drivers, students, and other unions to peacefully choose their leaders without violence engendered by official interference and imposition to return farmers peacefully and safely to farm and to reunite market women with a modern and clean environment for their merchandise.

“To make students and youth feel at home with a governor and deputy who were former student leaders and understand the language of aluta and activism in general.

“We shall run an administration of veritable teamwork and people’s participation based on age-long and proven beneficial programs.

On security, Ebiseni said, “We will, in partnership with the Federal Government and its relevant agencies, build on the efforts of successive administrations in providing adequate security within our borders and in regional collaboration with our neighbours, as we all know that security of lives and property is the primary purpose and responsibility of government.

Speaking on human capital development, he said that “education at primary and secondary school levels shall be qualitative and free, including the introduction of free buses for students, payment for WAEC final examinations, school infrastructural development, and training and re-training of the teaching personnel.”