Ondo Election: Labour Party Candidate Accuses Ebiseni of Forging Signature, Blames Peter Obi and NLC for Defeat

Ayodele Olorunfemi, the Labour Party (LP) candidate whose name was reinstated in the Ondo State governorship election after a court ruling, has said he will report to the Inspector General of Police over claims that his signature was forged by Olusola Ebiseni and the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC).

Olorunfemi’s candidacy was restored by a last-minute decision from the Court of Appeal in Abuja, after Ebiseni had initially been declared the LP candidate.

Despite the court ruling, Olorunfemi lost the election to Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

In an interview with The PUNCH, Olorunfemi blamed his poor performance in the election on former Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi and the NLC. He accused them of making things harder for him by insisting on Ebiseni being the candidate.

“Peter Obi and the NLC ruined my chances,” Olorunfemi said. “Their push for Ebiseni to be on the ballot affected my campaign negatively.”

Olorunfemi also claimed that a letter was sent to the court in his name, saying he had withdrawn from the race, but he said he had no knowledge of it.

“Ebiseni wrote a letter to the court in my name without my consent, saying I withdrew from the race. That’s not right,” he said, adding that he would investigate the matte

Although Olorunfemi didn’t explain how Peter Obi specifically harmed his campaign, he said his late reinstatement as the party’s candidate made it difficult for him to compete effectively.

He added, “The actions of these people ruined my chances. They brought in a candidate who wasn’t good for the party.”

Despite his loss, Olorunfemi welcomed the court ruling that reinstated his candidacy. “I’m glad the truth won in the end, and my name is back in the INEC portal,” he said.

He also emphasized that no one can be forced to withdraw from an election. “It wasn’t the party that submitted the withdrawal.

It was done by Abduwaheed Omar, the former NLC President. What they did is illegal,” he said, announcing plans to file a police report.

Ebiseni, for his part, claimed he paid Olorunfemi N20 million, plus an extra N5 million for election-related expenses, but that Olorunfemi did not hand over the ticket. Olorunfemi hasn’t denied receiving the money but said that withdrawal from the race must be voluntary.

Meanwhile, Professor Theophilus Ndubuaku, acting Chairman of the NLC Political Commission, criticized Olorunfemi, calling him a “very funny character” and accusing him of secretly working for the APC.

Ndubuaku also claimed that Olorunfemi had sold the ticket to Ebiseni after receiving the money, and that the court case was a result of Olorunfemi’s refusal to hand over the ticket.

The disagreements within the Labour Party continue to grow, with both sides preparing for further legal action.