Ondo LP Candidate Blames Obi, NLC For Election Loss

Ayodele Olorunfemi, the reinstated Labour Party (LP) governorship candidate in Ondo State, has blamed his defeat in the November 16 governorship election on the former LP presidential candidate, Peter Obi, and the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC).

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declared the incumbent Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa of the All Progressives Congress (APC) the winner after he swept all 18 local government areas, securing 366,781 votes. Agboola Ajayi of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) came second with 117,845 votes, while Olorunfemi’s LP trailed far behind.

Olorunfemi’s Allegations

In an interview, Olorunfemi expressed frustration over what he described as sabotage by Obi and the NLC, accusing them of backing Olusola Ebiseni, a rival candidate within the party.

“These people spoilt things for us with that PDP reject they wanted to force on the party,” he lamented, alleging that Ebiseni forged a withdrawal letter in his name to the court in an attempt to exclude him from the race.

The Court of Appeal in Abuja had recently reinstated Olorunfemi as the LP candidate, overturning an earlier Federal High Court ruling that recognized Ebiseni as the party’s flag bearer. The decision came just days before the election, leaving Olorunfemi with minimal time to campaign.

Olorunfemi vowed to petition the Inspector General of Police to investigate how his name and signature were allegedly forged. “What they did is criminal,” he stated.

NLC’s Response

Reacting to Olorunfemi’s claims, Prof. Theophilus Ndubuaku, acting Chairman of the NLC Political Commission, dismissed the allegations, describing Olorunfemi as a “funny character.”

Ndubuaku claimed that Olorunfemi had initially acted as a placeholder for the governorship ticket and accused him of attempting to sell it to Ebiseni for N20 million. When Ebiseni allegedly paid the sum but did not receive the ticket, he took the matter to court.

“The challenge is that before the judgment, INEC had already given Olorunfemi the code to upload the names of agents, which we suspect he used to upload APC loyalists,” Ndubuaku alleged.

Political Fallout

The Ondo LP’s internal crisis mirrors broader divisions within the party following its post-2023 election prominence. While Olorunfemi has vowed to pursue legal action against those he accuses of undermining him, the allegations and counterclaims underscore the challenges facing the LP in maintaining unity as it seeks to consolidate its political gains.

As of the time of filing this report, efforts to reach Peter Obi and Olusola Ebiseni for comments were unsuccessful.