Less than 24 hours before the Ondo State governorship election, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has reinstated Olorunfemi Ayodele Festus as the Labour Party (LP) candidate.
The decision follows a Court of Appeal ruling overturning a previous Federal High Court judgment that had listed Olusola Ebiseni as the party’s candidate.
In a statement shared on its official X (formerly Twitter) handle on Friday evening, INEC explained its compliance with the appellate court’s decision.
“The Commission was yesterday, 14th November 2024, served with the Certified True Copy (CTC) of the judgment of the Court of Appeal, which set aside the judgment of the Federal High Court (FHC), Abuja Division,” the post read.
It further detailed the judicial process leading to the reversal: “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.”
The Commission emphasized its commitment to adhering to the rule of law: “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.”
