‘Olorunfemi is our candidate’ — LP dissociates self from Ebiseeni as Ondo guber flagbearer
The Labour Party (LP) leadership says Ayo Olorunfemi is its candidate in the forthcoming off-cycle governorship election in Ondo state.
In a statement on Wednesday, Obiora Ifoh, national publicity secretary of LP, said the party disassociated itself from Olusola Ebiseeni, who is claiming to be its candidate in the November 16 governorship election in state.
On Tuesday, Ebiseeni, the secretary-general of the Ayo Adebanjo-led faction of Afenifere, dumped the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), and joined the LP.
Ebiseeni, who came third in the primary conducted by the PDP earlier this year, said he was unveiled in Akure, the Ondo state capital, as the LP governorship candidate.
However, Ifoh reiterated that Olorunfemi remains the party’s candidate, noting that Ebiseeni is yet to relinquish his membership of the PDP.
“Dr. Olorunfemi is the candidate of the Labour Party. He emerged after the governorship primaries witnessed by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC),” the statement reads.
“His name was subsequently submitted to INEC and was published as the Labour Party’s duly nominated candidate for the Ondo election.
“Chief Ebiseni is not our candidate, though he aspired to be one. INEC has since concluded the nomination processes, and one wonders how he emerged without the involvement of the INEC and the sponsorship of the Labour Party.
“We also took note of some persons who are not members of the Labour Party but believed to be working for the Nigeria Labour Congress who must have been urging him on in their blind and illegitimate pursuit of the leadership of the party even when the appeal court has affirmed Barrister Julius Abure as the authentic chairman of the Labour Party.
“Impersonation is a serious crime in Nigeria, and we therefore urge the Nigeria Police, the Department of the State Security and all other security agencies to apprehend anyone impersonating or being used to fight a proxy battle by way of impersonation.
“Labour Party is poised to win the Ondo governorship election having fielded a very credible candidate who is a grassroot politician, a prominent Labour leader and a renowned educationist.
“We think that this unholy alliance between Ebiseni and APC sponsored NLC is geared towards frustrating our expected victory at the polls, but we will resist it through every legal means.
“We are therefore calling on our party members in Ondo, particularly Obidient family and the entire electorate to ignore the gang up against the party and come out en-masse to vote for Dr. Olorunfemi of the Labour Party, secure our votes and make sure our votes count.”
