Labour Party has denied reports of disqualification against its candidate, Olusola Ebiseni.
The party has called on Nigerian voters, especially those in Ondo, to dismiss a recent court ruling that removed Ebiseni from the race.
The Abuja Division of the Appeal Court unanimously decided on Wednesday, disqualifying Ebiseni as the Labour Party’s gubernatorial candidate.
The three-judge panel, led by Justice Hamma Barka and delivered by Justice Adebukola Banjoko, ruled in favor of the Labour Party’s appeal (CA/ABJ/CV/1172/2024) against Ebiseni and another individual.
This decision directly challenges a previous directive from Justice Emeka Nwite of the Federal High Court in Abuja, who had instructed the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to officially recognize Ebiseni and his deputy, Ezekiel Awude, as the Labour Party’s candidates for the upcoming election.
Justice Nwite had upheld the validity of the Labour Party’s second primary election, which elected Ebiseni and Awude as governor and deputy governor respectively.
He noted that Ebiseni had paid N20 million for his nomination form and was subsequently issued the necessary documentation to proceed with the primary election. Additionally, Justice Nwite said the Labour Party had directed Ebiseni to pay N5 million to Festus Olorunfemi as compensation for withdrawing from the race, thereby solidifying the legitimacy of the nominations.
Justice Nwite ordered INEC to accept and publish the names of Ebiseni and Awude as the official candidates for the Ondo State governorship election slated for November 16.
Despite the appellate court’s reversal of the trial court’s judgment, the Labour Party defends Ebiseni’s candidacy.
Mrs. Remilekun Ojo, the Ondo State Chairperson of the Labour Party denied the disqualification. She dismissed the circulating reports of Ebiseni’s disqualification as “all lies” and accused rival party politicians of deliberately spreading misinformation to destabilize the Labour Party, claiming that these actions stem from feelings of threat among opposing factions.
Adding to the controversy, Hon. Samuel Boniface, the Labour Party youth leader in Ondo State, revealed that he had been approached by members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) with offers exceeding N100 million to dismantle the Labour Party’s structure and merge it into the PDP.
In an exclusive interview with Daily Post, Boniface recounted his refusal of these bribes, emphasizing his commitment to his party and personal integrity.
“As the state youth leader of the Labour Party, three weeks ago, some PDP stakeholders contacted me, asking me to collapse the Labour Party structure into their party. They asked me to name any amount from N100 million, but I declined because I have a goal. I have my own future. I can’t sell my conscience like that,” Boniface stated. He further asserted his unwavering loyalty to the Labour Party, even at the expense of his political ambitions, declaring, “I’d rather lose the election than sell my conscience.”
Boniface also supported the Labour Party Chairperson’s stance on the Appeal Court’s decision, describing the reports as “big lies” disseminated through social media. He expressed frustration over the misleading information, which he believes disrupts the electoral process just two days before the election.
Boniface announced plans to sue the media outlets responsible for propagating these false reports.
“We have decided to sue some newspapers that reported our candidate is no longer on the list. If you check the INEC portal, you will see our candidate there, so who removed him?” he questioned.
Boniface provided evidence of the internal resolution by detailing the financial transactions involved in Ebiseni’s candidacy, including compensation payments made to Olorunfemi and the party’s National Chairman.
“After signing that he stepped down, our candidate compensated him with N5 million, and the National Chairman of the party also gave him N2 million. We have receipts for all transactions,” Boniface affirmed. He concluded by reiterating the party’s resilience and focus, despite the attempts to undermine their campaign, asserting, “I can assure you that everything is very much intact. We are not distracted by this misleading news.”
DP/NGG
