Olorunfemi Ayodele Festus has been officially recognized as the Labour Party (LP) candidate for the Ondo State governorship election, just 24 hours before the polls. This development follows the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC)'s updated list of candidates published on Friday, November 15, 2024. The decision comes after the Court of Appeal dismissed the petition filed by Olusola Ebiseni, who was initially listed as the party's flagbearer.
INEC revealed that it received the Certified True Copy (CTC) of the Appeal Court's judgment on Thursday, November 14, 2024. The ruling nullified the previous Federal High Court judgment that had mandated the commission to accept Olusola Ebiseni as the Labour Party's candidate.
In September 2024, the Labour Party filed a petition at the Federal High Court, Abuja, demanding Ebiseni’s recognition as its official candidate. However, the Court of Appeal struck out the Federal High Court judgment, citing a lack of jurisdiction.
INEC clarified its position in a statement released on Friday, explaining the sequence of events leading to the update:
“The Commission was yesterday, 14th November 2024, served with the Certified True Copy (CTC) of the judgment of the Court of Appeal which set aside the judgment of the Federal High Court (FHC), Abuja Division. The FHC, in suit number FHC/ABJ/CS/1105/2024, had on 27th September 2024, ordered the Commission to accept Olusola Ebiseni as the candidate of the Labour Party for the 2024 Ondo State Governorship election.
“However, in the appeal with reference number CA/ABJ/CV/1172/2024 filed by the Labour Party, the Court of Appeal, Abuja Division, struck out the judgment of the FHC for lack of jurisdiction. In obedience to the court order, the Commission has restored Olorunfemi Ayodele Festus, whose name was first published as the Labour Party candidate for the 2024 Ondo State Governorship election, and uploaded the same to our website for public information.”
With this development, Olorunfemi Ayodele Festus is set to contest alongside seventeen other candidates in the Ondo governorship race. This last-minute adjustment underscores the dynamic nature of Nigeria’s political landscape and the critical role of the judiciary in determining electoral matters.
