LP Candidate Attributes Defeat in Ondo Poll to Obi and NLC
The Labour Party’s candidate in the Ondo State governorship election, Ayodele Olorunfemi, has expressed disappointment over his defeat in the election, blaming former LP presidential candidate Peter Obi and the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) for undermining his campaign.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declared Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa of the All Progressives Congress (APC) the winner, securing 366,781 votes and winning all 18 local government areas, with the PDP’s Agboola Ajayi trailing at 117,845 votes.
Olorunfemi attributed his loss to internal disputes within the party, which he claims were fueled by Obi’s support for Olusola Ebiseni, another aspirant. He accused Ebiseni and the NLC of forgery, alleging they submitted a false withdrawal letter in his name without his consent. He vowed to seek legal action to address these grievances and expose those involved.
The LP candidate, reinstated by a Court of Appeal ruling shortly before the election, admitted his campaign lacked the necessary momentum, which he blamed on the internal turmoil. He described the alleged actions of the NLC and party leadership as criminal and stated his intention to petition the Inspector General of Police for a probe into the matter.
In response, the NLC’s acting Chairman of the Political Commission, Prof. Theophilus Ndubuaku, dismissed Olorunfemi’s claims, calling him a “placeholder” and accusing him of working covertly for the APC. Ndubuaku alleged that Olorunfemi attempted to sell the LP ticket to Ebiseni and had uploaded APC agents’ names as part of election preparations.
As of the report’s filing, neither Obi nor Ebiseni had commented on the allegations.
