Ondo Election: INEC removes Ebiseni, names Festus as LP candidate

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has replaced the name of Olusola Ebiseni with Olorunfemi Ayodele Festus as the candidate of the Labour Party (LP) in the Ondo State governorship election scheduled for Saturday.

Chief Press Secretary/Media Adviser to the Chairman, INEC, Rotimi Oyekanmi, made this known in a statement on Friday.

Oyekanmi said the decision was prompted by a judgement of the Court of Appeal, which set aside the judgment of the Federal High Court (FHC), Abuja Division, that accepted Ebiseni as the candidate of the LP for the 2024 Ondo State governorship election.

Ebiseni had been accepted as the LP candidate for the election by INEC after an order by the FHC on September 27, 2024, following a suit with number FHC/ABJ/CS/1105/2024.

Oyekanmi said the judgment was appealed at the Court of Appeal, Abuja Division, by the LP with reference number CA/ABJ/CV/1172/2024, and the FHC judgment was struck out for lack of jurisdiction.

He said in obedience to the court order, the commission has restored Festus, whose name was first published as the LP candidate for the election and uploaded the same to its website for public information.