#OndoDecides2024: INEC reinstates Olorunfemi Festus as LP gov candidate

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has reinstated Olorunfemi Festus as the Labour Party’s governorship candidate for today’s (Saturday) election in Ondo State.

INEC said in a statement on X on Friday that Mr Festus’ restoration “followed a ruling of the Court of Appeal.”

The Abuja Division of the Court of Appeal overturned the judgment of the Federal High Court, which had on 27 September, ordered the commission to accept Olusola Ebiseni as the LP candidate.

The appellate court determined that the lower court “lacked jurisdiction to make such a ruling.”

In compliance with the ruling, INEC updated its records, restoring Mr Festus as the LP candidate.

“The Commission was yesterday (Thursday) 14th November 2024 served with the Certified True Copy of the judgement of the Court of Appeal which set aside the judgement of the Federal High Court, Abuja Division.

“In obedience to the court order, the Commission has restored Olorunfemi Ayodele Festus, whose name was first published as the Labour Party candidate for the 2024 Ondo State Governorship election and uploaded same to our website for public information,” the commission explained.

PREMIUM TIMES checks revealed that his details were also published on the commission’s website for public information.

Background

Emeka Nwite, judge of the Federal High Court in Abuja, had ordered INEC to accept and recognise Olusola Ebiseni and Ezekiel Awude as the Labour Party’s governorship and deputy governorship candidates for the 16 November governorship poll.

Mr Nwite had affirmed that the second primary election held by the LP, which produced Messrs Ebiseni and Awude as the governorship and deputy governorship candidates, was valid and should be upheld by INEC.

In his judgement in the suit brought by Messrs Ebiseni and Awude, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1105/2024, Mr Nwite noted that Mr Ebiseni had paid the sum of N20 million for the nomination form and was duly issued a form leading to the conduct of the second primary election.

He also observed that there was evidence the party had directed Mr Ebiseni to pay N5 million to Olorunfemi Festus as compensation for his withdrawal from the governorship race.

Mr Nwite, therefore, ordered INEC to accept the nominations of Messrs Ebiseni and Awude and publish their names as the LP candidates for the Ondo State governorship election.

However, in a turn of events, the three-member panel of justices of the Court of Appeal, Abuja Division, disqualified Mr Ebiseni on Wednesday.

In a unanimous decision with the lead judgement by Hamma Barka delivered by Adebukola Banjoko, the appellate court held that “the appeal marked CA/ABJ/CV/1172/2024 brought by the Labour Party against Chief Olusola Ebiseni and two others is allowed.”

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Banjoko added that the Certified True Copy of the judgement would be made available to the parties in the appeal as soon as possible for their review.

In his contributory judgement, one of the judges, Abba Mohammed, agreed with his fellow justices’ decision.