Comrade Ayodele Olorunfemi, the reinstated Labour Party governorship candidate in the recent Ondo State election, has announced his intention to petition the Inspector General of Police regarding the alleged forgery of his signature by Olusola Ebiseni and the Nigeria Labour Congress.
Ebiseni was the Labour Party candidate for the election held on November 16 until a last-minute decision by the Court of Appeal in Abuja reinstated Olorunfemi as the party's candidate.
In an interview with The PUNCH, Olorunfemi, who was defeated in the election won by incumbent Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa of the All Progressives Congress, attributed his disappointing performance to the actions of former Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi and the NLC.
“Their insistence on including Ebiseni on the ballot significantly hindered my campaign,” he lamented.
“They exploited the discord between the Labour Party and the Nigeria Labour Congress to create obstacles. It is astonishing that Ebiseni submitted a letter to the court in my name without my consent, claiming that I had withdrawn from the race. They cannot exclude me from such a position,” he asserted, emphasizing his determination to investigate the origins of that letter.
He stated, “I hold Peter Obi and the NLC responsible for this situation. They have undermined my aspirations and chances of winning the Ondo election. Their actions have disrupted our campaign with that candidate from the PDP whom they attempted to impose on the party.”
Nonetheless, he expressed gratitude for the appellate court's ruling that reinstated his candidacy for the governorship election.
“I am thankful for the appeal judgment that restored my name in the INEC portal. The positive outcome is that the truth has triumphed,” he remarked.
He maintained that any withdrawal must be voluntary. “One cannot be coerced into withdrawing. What they attempted was an effort to undermine me without my knowledge,” he asserted.
“Furthermore, it was not the party that submitted that letter; it was the work of the former President of the NLC and head of the National Transition Committee, Abduwaheed Omar. Their actions are criminal.”
I intend to submit a petition to the Inspector General of Police, requesting an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the creation of that letter, the affixing of my signature, and its subsequent presentation in court. We will address that matter at a later time. For the moment, we are focused on our preparatory efforts and striving to ensure a successful election, he remarked.
Ebiseni alleged that he transferred N20 million to Olorunfemi, along with an additional N5 million for the ticket and related expenses; however, after the payment, Olorunfemi purportedly retained possession of the ticket.
Olorunfemi has not refuted this allegation but has maintained that any withdrawal must be voluntary.
In the meantime, the acting Chairman of the NLC Political Commission, Prof. Theophilus Ndubuaku, characterized Olorunfemi as a "very funny character" and accused him of collaborating with the APC.
He stated, "He is an individual who should never be taken seriously. Due to the ongoing conflict between us and Abure, Olorunfemi became Abure's deputy and was awarded the ticket. Prior to this election, he served merely as a placeholder. What actions did he take? He began seeking buyers for the ticket.
"During this process, Ebiseni was instructed to pay N20 million to acquire the ticket. He complied and even contributed an additional N5 million, which they claimed was for expenses. When they refused to hand over the ticket, Ebiseni resorted to legal action. In retaliation, Abure's faction worked to prevent INEC from uploading his name, leveraging a dubious judgment they secured.
"Our primary concern was that, prior to the judgment, INEC had already assigned the code for uploading the names of agents to Olorunfemi. We are aware that he would likely have uploaded the names of suspected APC agents. It is evident that he is indirectly working for the APC."
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