LP Candidate Blames Peter Obi and NLC for Ondo Election Defeat
Ayodele Olorunfemi, the Labour Party’s reinstated governorship candidate in Ondo State, has expressed deep disappointment over his loss in Saturday’s election, blaming former Anambra State Governor Peter Obi and the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) for undermining his campaign.
Governor Lucky Ayedatiwa of the All Progressives Congress (APC) was declared the winner of the election by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), securing 366,781 votes. His closest competitor, Agboola Ajayi of the PDP, received 117,845 votes. The result was announced by State Returning Officer Prof. Olayemi Akinwumi, who confirmed Ayedatiwa’s victory after he met all legal requirements.
Olorunfemi’s candidacy was marred by a lengthy legal battle, which saw his name reinstated on the ballot just days before the election following a Court of Appeal decision that overturned a previous ruling in favor of Olusola Ebiseni, a candidate backed by Peter Obi. The timing of this ruling and the lack of preparation severely hampered his campaign.
In an interview with the media, Olorunfemi admitted that his last-minute campaign was poorly organized and ineffective. He expressed frustration with the involvement of Peter Obi and the NLC, accusing them of sabotaging his chances.
“I have Peter Obi and the NLC to thank for my defeat,” he said. “They ruined my chances with their insistence on pushing Ebiseni, a PDP reject, onto the party ticket. Their interference in the Labour Party crisis only made things worse. Ebiseni even went as far as writing a letter to the court in my name, claiming I had withdrawn from the race—without my consent. This was an attempt to force me out.”
Although Olorunfemi acknowledged that his chances were slim given the late reinstatement, he vowed to seek justice and hold those responsible accountable.
He also accused Abduwaheed Omar, the former President of the NLC and head of the National Transition Committee, of being behind the alleged forgery. Olorunfemi threatened to petition the Inspector General of Police to investigate the matter.
“Thanks to the appeal judgment, my name was reinstated on INEC’s portal, and the truth has prevailed,” he said. “No one can force a candidate to withdraw. What they did was criminal, and we will pursue this further.”
In response, Professor Theophilus Ndubuaku, the acting Chairman of the NLC Political Commission, dismissed Olorunfemi’s accusations as unfounded, calling him a “very funny character.”
“He was a placeholder before the election and tried to sell the ticket to the highest bidder,” Ndubuaku stated. “Ebiseni paid N20 million, plus another N5 million for expenses, but when they refused to give him the ticket, Ebiseni went to court. The Abure camp then worked to prevent Olorunfemi’s name from being uploaded by INEC.”
Ndubuaku also claimed that Olorunfemi had attempted to upload names of suspected APC agents to INEC’s system before the judgment was passed.
As of the time of this report, attempts to reach Peter Obi and Olusola Ebiseni for comment were unsuccessful.
