The leadership of Labour Party on Wednesday rejected Chief Olusola Ebiseni, the Secretary-General of the Yoruba socio-cultural group, Afenifere, as the party’s candidate in the November 16 governorship election in Ondo State.
The party’s decision was contained in a statement by Obiora Ifoh who declared that Dr Ayo Olorunfemi emerged as the party’s flag bearer at the primaries held in Akure in June 2024.
“Ebiseni, who contested for the governorship of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state but lost, was yet to relinquish his membership PDP, neither identified with the Labour Party.
“Dr Olorunfemi is the candidate of the Labour Party. He emerged after the governorship primaries witnessed by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
“His name was subsequently submitted to INEC and was published as the Labour Party’s duly nominated candidate for the Ondo election.
“INEC has since concluded the nomination processes and one wonders how he emerged without the involvement of INEC and the sponsorship of the Labour Party,” he said.
LP subsequently urged the Nigeria Police, Department of State Security(DSS) and other security agencies to apprehend anyone impersonating or being used to fight a proxy battle against
He added that “Labour Party is poised to win the Ondo governorship election having fielded a very credible candidate who is a grassroots politician, a prominent Labour leader and a renowned educationist.
“We think that this unholy alliance between Ebiseni and APC sponsored NLC is geared towards frustrating our expected victory at the polls but we will resist it through every legal means.
“We are therefore calling on party members in Ondo, particularly Obidient family and the entire electorate to ignore the gang up against the party.
“Come out en-masse to vote for Dr Olorunfemi of the Labour Party, secure our votes and make sure our votes count.”
THE WHISTLER recalls that the Nigeria Labour Congress(NLC) had kicked against the convention that produced Julius Abure as LP’s National Chairman. Subsequently, the former President of NLC, Abduwaheed Omar, was appointed to chair the National Transition Committee(NTC).
Members of the NTC, including Dr. Kingsley Okundaye, Prof Theophilus Ndubuaku, and Folu Bademosi, nominated Ebiseni as flagbearer of the party.
But the Abure faction in a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Obiora Ifoh, on Wednesday, insisted that Olorunfemi is the party’s flag bearer, saying he emerged at the primaries held in Akure in June 2024.
