The Court of Appeal in Abuja, on Wednesday, delivered a decisive ruling disqualifying Olusola Ebiseni as the Labour Party candidate for the upcoming Ondo State governorship election, scheduled for Saturday, November 16, 2024.
In a unanimous judgment, a three-member panel of justices, led by Justice Hamma Barka and delivered by Justice Adebukola Banjoko, ruled in favor of the Labour Party's appeal, with the case marked as CA/ABJ/CV/1172/2024. This ruling effectively overturned the previous decision of the Federal High Court, which had ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to recognize Ebiseni and Ezekiel Awude as the Labour Party’s candidates for the governorship and deputy governorship positions, respectively.
Justice Banjoko directed that a Certified True Copy of the judgement be provided promptly to all parties involved in the case. Justice Abba Mohammed, another member of the appellate panel, expressed his agreement with the ruling.
The Federal High Court, presided over by Justice Emeka Nwite, had previously affirmed the validity of the Labour Party’s second primary election, which nominated Ebiseni and Awude. The court had mandated INEC to recognize the outcome, asserting that Ebiseni had fulfilled all party requirements, including the payment of a N20 million nomination form fee. Additionally, the Labour Party reportedly directed Ebiseni to pay N5 million to Festus Olorunfemi, who had withdrawn from the race, as compensation.
Justice Nwite's decision had required INEC to publish the names of Ebiseni and Awude as the Labour Party’s candidates for the Ondo governorship election. However, the recent appeal court ruling has invalidated that directive, marking a significant change in the lineup just days before the election.
