THE Court of Appeal, Abuja, has sacked Labour Party (LP) candidate Olusola Ebiseni from participating in the Ondo State governorship election scheduled for Saturday, 16 November 2024.
The three-member panel of justices led by Hamma Barka, in a unanimous judgement delivered by Adebukola Banjoko on Wednesday, November 14, held that the appeal marked CA/ABJ/CV/1172/2024 brought by the LP against Ebiseni and two others be allowed.
Banjoko further stated that the parties to the appeal would have immediate access to the Certified True Copy of the ruling for their perusal.
In his contributing judgment, Abba Mohammed concurred with the other justices’ ruling.
Recall that a judge of the Federal High Court in Abuja, Emeka Nwite, ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to recognize and accept Ebiseni and Ezekiel Awude as the candidates of the LP for the positions of governor and deputy governor in the Ondo State governorship elections.
Nwite affirmed that the LP’s second primary election, which resulted in Ebiseni and Awude as the candidates for governor and deputy governor, was legitimate and ought to be recognized by INEC.
In his judgement on the suit brought by Ebiseni and Awude, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1105/2024, Nwite noted proof that 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.
Additionally, he noted that there was proof that the Labour Party had ordered Ebiseni to provide Festus Olorunfemi with N5 million in exchange for his decision to drop out of the governorship contest.
Therefore, Nwite directed INEC to recognize Ebiseni and Awude’s nominations and release their names as the legitimate candidates of the LP for the governorship election in Ondo State.
However, the appellate court, in its ruling on Wednesday, overturned the trial court.
The LP presidential candidate in the 2023 election, Peter Obi, had endorsed Ebiseni as a candidate of the party.
According to Obi, Ebiseni is a supporter of a Nigeria founded on justice, equity, and fairness.
Obi, while speaking at a rally in Akure on Monday in support of Ebiseni, added that dedicated leadership can revive Nigeria’s economy and urged voters to reject transactional politics.
Ebiseni, a lawyer, was a former member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Ebiseni quit the PDP in August after finishing third in the governorship primary, which was won by Agboola Ajayi, the state’s former deputy governor.
A reporter with the ICIR
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