Ondo Election: LP denies sack of candidate, affirms Ebiseni as standard-bearer

The Labour Party (LP) has stated that Sola Ebiseni remains the governorship candidate of the party ahead of Saturday’s governorship election in Ondo.

While dismissing the purported judgment that sacked Ebiseni as the party’s standard-bearer, the Director of Legal Services, Labour Party Campaign Organization, Ojo Tosin Leramo, described the report of Ebiseni’s removal as fake.

In a statement signed by Leramo, the development was the handiwork of fifth columnists and political opponents.

He denied the purported sack of Ebiseni by the Court of Appeal in the Abuja Division, as the candidate of the party, saying the suit before the court did not challenge the validity of the Ebiseni candidacy.

He stated that for the avoidance of any doubt, in Suit No. FHC/ABJ/CS/1105/2024 filed at the Federal High Court Abuja by the trio of the Labour Party, Chief Olusola Nehemiah Ebiseni, and Adedayo Ezekiel Awude as the party’s governorship and deputy governorship candidates, respectively, the plaintiffs sought, among other reliefs, that the INEC be ordered to upload the names of the said candidates of the party for the Ondo State Governorship Election scheduled for the 16th day of November 2024.

He added, “In the course of the case, Kehinde Edun, the National Legal Adviser, filed a motion seeking that the name of the Labour Party be struck out of the suit, as only he or the National Chairman may sue or authorize a suit in the name of the Party.

“The motion did not challenge nor in any way deny the validity of the candidacy of Ebiseni and Awude.

“In any case, the court was informed without denial that the processes of nomination of the said candidates were presided over by Julius Abure, Ayo Olorunfemi, Kehinde Edun, and all members of the Abure National Working Committee.

“The court, in a considered judgment, per His Lordship Honourable Justice Emeka Nwite, delivered on the 27th of September, granted the reliefs as prayed.”

He further stressed that two appeals were filed, one in which Ayo Festus Olorunfemi sought to appeal as an interested party, which appeal was outrightly dismissed, and the other appeal, N0 CA/ABJ/CV/1172/2024, by Abure, which was allowed without details, but certainly not on the validity of the candidacy of Ebiseni and Awude, which the appellant did not make an issue nor challenge at the lower court, as an appeal is a rehearing of the case at the lower court.

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“We are not unaware that the visit to Ondo State, early in the week, by the enigmatic leader and the 2023 presidential candidate of the party, His Excellency, Mr. Peter Gregory Obi, and his authoritative statement on the nation’s democracy and incomparable capacity of our candidates, have escalated the headaches of our opponents and their collaborating in-house merchants, who are now more frustrated by the ever-growing popularity of the party.

“We call on the teeming members of the Labour Party and our well-wishers to ignore the tantrums of these mischief makers and go ahead and massively vote Labour Party on Saturday.

“Olusola Nehemiah Ebiseni and Adedayo Ezekiel Awude, respectively, remain the governorship and deputy governorship candidates of the party,” he said.

Speaking on the development, Ebiseni noted that court judgment is not delivered through speculation, adding: “it’s based on facts and evidence. I would have expected Olorunfemi to present the judgment he’s been referencing, rather than spreading misinformation.

“Let this be clear to all: I, Olusola Nehemiah Ebiseni, remain the Labour Party’s gubernatorial candidate. Any claims suggesting otherwise are unfounded and misleading.”