3 months ago
53
The leadership of the Labour Party, on Wednesday, disowned the Secretary General of pan-Yoruba sociopolitical organisation, Afenifere, Chief Olusola Ebiseni, as its governorship candidate in Ondo State.
The LP, in a statement issued in Abuja by its National Publicity Secretary, Obiora Ifoh, accused Ebiseni of impersonation, saying Dr Ayo Olorunfemi is its candidate for the November 16 governorship poll in Ondo.
But Ebiseni, in an interview with The PUNCH, insisted that he was the authentic LP candidate for the November 16 governorship election in Ondo State.
“They are Abure faction of the party and their tenure has expired, so they have no authority to say I’m impersonating, I am the candidate of the party,” Ebiseni said.
However, Ifoh, in the Abuja statement, explained that Olorunfemi emerged as its flag bearer following a keenly contested primary held in June at Akure, Ondo State capital.
While recalling that Ebiseni also contested for the governorship ticket on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party and lost, the LP spokesman insisted he had neither relinquished his membership of the PDP nor formally identified with the Labour Party.
He said, “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 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, which must have urged him on in their blind and illegitimate pursuit of the leadership of the party even when the Appeal Court has affirmed 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 through impersonation.
“The Labour Party is poised to win the Ondo governorship election having fielded a very credible candidate who is a grassroots politician, a prominent labour leader and a renowned educationist.
“We think this unholy alliance between Ebiseni and the 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.”
English (US) ·