Ondo guber : INEC reinstates Labour Party candidate after Appeal Court ruling

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has reinstated Olorunfemi Festus as the Labour Party’s candidate for the 2024 Ondo State governorship election, complying with a recent judgment by the Court of Appeal.

This development was disclosed in a statement issued on Friday via the commission’s official X account.

The reinstatement follows the Court of Appeal’s decision to overturn a Federal High Court ruling that had earlier ordered INEC to recognize Olusola Ebiseni as the Labour Party’s candidate.

On September 27, 2024, the Federal High Court had directed INEC to substitute Festus with Ebiseni for the governorship election. Dissatisfied with the ruling, the Labour Party filed an appeal, leading to the Court of Appeal’s verdict under reference number CA/ABJ/CV/1172/2024, which declared that the Federal High Court lacked jurisdiction to make the earlier decision.

As a result, INEC updated its records, officially reinstating Festus as the Labour Party candidate. His details have also been published on the commission’s website for public access.

In its statement, INEC noted:

“The commission was yesterday, 14th November 2024, served with the Certified True Copy of the judgment of the Court of Appeal which set aside the judgment of the Federal High Court, Abuja Division.

“The FHC, in suit number FHC/ABJ/CS/1105/2024 had on 27th September 2024 ordered the commission to accept Olusola Ebiseni as the candidate of the Labour Party for the 2024 Ondo State Governorship election.

“However, in the appeal with reference number CA/ABJ/CV/1172/2024 filed by the Labour Party, the Court of Appeal, Abuja Division struck out the judgment of the FHC for lack of jurisdiction.

“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.”