In an unexpected turn of events less than 24 hours before the Ondo governorship election, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) announced the replacement of Olusola Ebiseni with Olorunfemi Festus as the Labour Party (LP) candidate for the crucial polls.
This development follows a directive from the Court of Appeal, which overturned an earlier decision by the Federal High Court that had recognized Ebiseni as the valid candidate. INEC, in compliance with the new court order, made the announcement on its X social media platform late Friday evening, just a day before the election.
The electoral body explained that it had received the Certified True Copy (CTC) of the Court of Appeal judgment on Thursday, November 14, which nullified the Federal High Court's earlier verdict. The initial ruling, delivered on September 27 in suit number FHC/ABJ/CS/1105/2024, had mandated INEC to accept Ebiseni as the LP candidate.
However, in the appeal case CA/ABJ/CV/1172/2024, filed by the Labour Party, the Court of Appeal sitting in Abuja struck out the Federal High Court’s decision, citing a lack of jurisdiction. Consequently, the appellate court ordered INEC to reinstate Festus as the party’s rightful flagbearer for the 2024 Ondo State Governorship election.
“The Federal High Court had earlier ordered the commission to recognize Olusola Ebiseni as the Labour Party candidate for the Ondo election. However, the appeal court has struck out this judgment due to jurisdictional issues and instructed us to reinstate Olorunfemi Festus. In obedience to the ruling, we have restored Festus as the Labour Party candidate for the 2024 Ondo Governorship election,” INEC stated in its update.
The electoral body further revealed that Festus’s name, initially published as the LP candidate in earlier electoral materials, has now been officially uploaded to INEC’s website to reflect the updated candidacy. The swift compliance underscores INEC’s commitment to adhering to judicial pronouncements, even as the clock ticks closer to the highly anticipated governorship election.
The sudden switch in candidates has sparked widespread reactions across political and social circles, with many speculating about its potential impact on the Labour Party’s performance at the polls. As Ondo State voters prepare to cast their ballots, all eyes remain on the unfolding drama within the Labour Party and its newly reinstated candidate, Olorunfemi Festus.