Appeal Court Disqualifies Ondo Labour Party Candidate Ahead of Gubernatorial Election

Ondo Labour Party candidate Olusola Ebiseni loses appeal as court rules against his candidacy just days before the state’s governorship election

In a recent ruling, the Appeal Court disqualified Ondo Labour Party candidate Olusola Ebiseni from participating in the forthcoming governorship election slated for November 16, 2024. The decision, delivered by the three-member panel led by Justice Adebukola Banjoko in Abuja, marks a significant shift in the Labour Party’s election lineup for Ondo State.

The panel, ruling unanimously, concluded that the appeal lodged by the Labour Party in case number CA/ABJ/CV/1172/2024, seeking to uphold Ebiseni’s candidacy, could not stand. Justice Banjoko, speaking on behalf of the appellate judges, emphasized that the court’s certified judgment would be available to all parties for further examination.

Previously, the Federal High Court in Abuja, presided over by Justice Emeka Nwite, had ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to recognize Ebiseni and his running mate, Ezekiel Awude, as Labour Party’s legitimate candidates. Justice Nwite had supported a second primary held by the Labour Party, declaring it valid and urging INEC to confirm the candidates selected through this process.

This latest judgment from the Appeal Court, however, has reversed the initial ruling, bringing into question the Labour Party’s final candidate list for the election.