Ondo Election: Appeal Court Disqualifies Ebiseni, Labour Party Candidate as APC Holds Mega Rally

On Wednesday, four days before the 16 November governorship election in Ondo state, the Court of Appeal, Abuja Division, disqualified Chief Olusola Ebiseni as the Labour Party (LP) candidate.

Seventeen political parties are billed to participate in the election to be held in the state on Saturday. But it is most unlikely for the Labour Party (LP) to get a Certified True Copy (CTC) and transmit the record to the Supreme Court within three working days.

In a unanimous decision, the three-member panel of justices held that “the appeal marked CA/ABJ/CV/1172/2024 brought by the Labour Party (LP) against Chief Olusola Ebiseni and two others is allowed.”

Justice Adebukola Banjoko delivered Justice Hamma Barka’s lead judgement. Justice Banjoko directed that a Certified True Copy of the judgement be made available to the parties in the appeal as soon as possible to enable the review of the judgement. Justice Abba Mohammed agreed with the decision of his fellow justices while contributing to the judgement.

The judgement nullified the decision of the lower court headed by Justice Emeka Nwite of the Federal High Court Abuja Division which had ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to accept and recognise Chief Ebiseni and Mr. Ezekiel Awude as the party’s governorship and deputy governorship candidates for the election.

Justice Nwite had affirmed that the second primary election held by the Labour Party, which produced Chief Ebiseni and Mr. Awude as the governorship and deputy governorship candidates, was valid and should be upheld by INEC.

In his judgement on the suit brought by Chief Ebiseni and Mr. Awude, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1105/2024, Justice Nwite noted the evidence that Chief Ebiseni had paid the sum of N20m for the nomination form and duly issued a form leading to the conduct of the second primary election.

He also observed that there was evidence the Labour Party had directed Chief Ebiseni to pay the sum of N5 million to one Mr. Festus Olorunfemi as compensation for his withdrawal from the governorship race.

Justice Nwite thus ordered INEC to accept the nominations of Chief Ebiseni and Mr. Awude and to publish their names as the Labour Party’s lawful candidates for the Ondo State governorship election scheduled for 16 November until the latest judgement by the appellate court abrogating that decision.

APC Holds Mega Rally
Also on Wednesday, the All Progressives Congress (APC) held a mega rally in Akure in its last-minute efforts to mobilise votes for its governorship candidate, Mr.Lucky Aiyedatiwa, ahead of Saturday’s election.

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu represented by the Vice President, Kashin Shettima, led other party Chieftains and governors of the APC to Ondo State to drum support for Mr Aiyedatiwa. The Vice President asked voters to come out on Saturday en masse to cast their votes for APC, stressing that, a vote for APC would be a vote for progress and would ensure continuous development that had already started in the South-West.

According to him, President Tinubu highly honours the people of Ondo and has recently approved the establishment of a federal teaching hospital in the state. His words: “We bring you greetings from the President. If Pa Ajasin were still alive, is he going to vote for the APC or reactionary party? If Akeredolu were to be alive, is he going to vote for the APC or the reactionary party? Would Mimiko vote for the APC or the reactionary party? I urge you to come out en masse to vote for APC for the people of the South-West. Ondo State has two senior ministers, to whom much is given, much is expected”.

He further appealed to the electorate to vote for the party for the good work to continue in the state. The Chairperson of APC Campaign Council for Ondo Election and Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, said nobody should fight the opposition, other than speaking with their votes for APC.

Mr. Sanwo-Olu said the party was sure of victory in the election and would still come back to appreciate the people of the state for standing with the party.

Speaking at the rally, Mr Lucky Aiyedatiwa said he was loyal to his former boss, the late governor, Rotimi Akeredolu, Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) all through, till the end.

Mr Aiyedatiwa assured the people of the state that he would do more for the progress of the state. One of the Ministers from the state, the Minister of Interior, Mr.Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, said the party was fully ready for victory and would win the election in the 18 local government areas of the state for Mr Aiyedatiwa.
In his speech, the National Chairperson of the Party, Alhaji Abdullahi Ganduje, said they came to support Mr Aiyedatiwa to victory. He later presented the party’s flag to the governor and his running mate, Mr. Olayide Adelami.