Olusola Ebiseni, the Labour Party’s candidate for the upcoming Ondo State governorship election scheduled for November 16, has dismissed any claims suggesting controversy around his candidacy, despite a recent ruling from the Court of Appeal disqualifying him.
During an interview on Channels TV’s Politics Today on Thursday, Ebiseni asserted that he is still the rightful candidate for the party.
The Court of Appeal in Abuja, in a unanimous decision by a three-judge panel led by Justice Adebukola Banjoko, ruled on Wednesday to disqualify Ebiseni.
However, Ebiseni contested the ruling, explaining that the previous candidate had voluntarily withdrawn due to financial constraints, allowing him to step in as the new candidate.
Ebiseni clarified, “The primary that nominated me was conducted by the national working committee of the Labour Party. At the end of April, there was no Labour Party candidate in Ondo State.
“The party initially selected a placeholder from the north senatorial district, which was Dr. Femi, to maintain a balance. Later, it was decided that Femi would step down, and he officially withdrew through an affidavit.”
Ebiseni added that he paid N20 million for the nomination form and completed the process per party guidelines. “The substitution primary was held on July 18 in Akure, making me the official governorship candidate,” he stated.
“INEC, however, refused to upload my name, so we initiated a case to address this, involving the Labour Party, myself, and my running mate.”
Ebiseni also addressed the party’s legal position, noting that their national legal advisor chose not to pursue the case against INEC directly, requesting only that the Labour Party’s name be removed. He argued that this does not invalidate his standing as the party’s candidate.