Ondo Election: Labour Party Candidate Blames Peter Obi, NLC for Defeat
Ayodele Olorunfemi, the Labour Party (LP) governorship candidate in Ondo State, has attributed his loss in the November 16 election to the actions of former LP presidential candidate Peter Obi and the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC).
Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa of the All Progressives Congress (APC) emerged victorious, winning all 18 local government areas with 366,781 votes. Agboola Ajayi of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) came second with 117,845 votes, while Olorunfemi’s LP campaign struggled amid intra-party crises.
Court Drama and Party Infighting
Olorunfemi was reinstated as the LP candidate just days before the election following a Court of Appeal ruling that overturned an earlier judgment favoring Olusola Ebiseni, who had been backed by Obi and the NLC.
Reacting to his loss, Olorunfemi accused Obi and the NLC of sabotaging his campaign, claiming their push to install Ebiseni as the party’s candidate created chaos within the LP.
“They capitalized on the crisis between the Labour Party and the NLC to ruin my chances. Ebiseni even forged a letter in my name claiming I had withdrawn from the race,” Olorunfemi alleged during an interview.
Threats of Legal Action
Olorunfemi announced plans to petition the Inspector General of Police to investigate the alleged forgery of his name and signature. He described the actions of the NLC and its former president, Abduwaheed Omar, as criminal.
“The letter was not submitted by the party but by the NLC. This was an attempt to force me out of the race behind my back,” he stated.
NLC Responds
In response, the acting chairman of the NLC Political Commission, Prof. Theophilus Ndubuaku, dismissed Olorunfemi’s claims, describing him as “a very funny character.”
“Olorunfemi was initially a placeholder and later demanded N20 million from Ebiseni for the ticket. When they refused to give him the ticket, Ebiseni went to court. Olorunfemi’s actions were clearly aimed at sabotaging the party,” Ndubuaku alleged.
Election Fallout
The Labour Party’s internal conflicts were evident in the run-up to the election, with the dispute over candidacy hindering the party’s preparations and campaign efforts.
As of press time, neither Peter Obi nor Olusola Ebiseni had responded to Olorunfemi’s allegations.
The Ondo election outcome underscores the challenges of intra-party unity, particularly for opposition parties seeking to strengthen their footing in Nigeria’s political landscape.
