Reinstated Labour Party (LP) governorship candidate in Ondo State, Ayodele Olorunfemi, has attributed his loss in Saturday’s governorship election to the actions of former Anambra State Governor Peter Obi and the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC).
Grassroots Parrot reports how Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa of the All Progressives Congress (APC) emerged victorious, winning all 18 local government areas with 366,781 votes, as announced by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
Agboola Ajayi of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) came second with 117,845 votes, while Olorunfemi finished far behind.
READ ALSO: PDP Condemns Ondo Governorship Election, Calls For Detailed Review
Olorunfemi’s name was reinstated on the ballot only days before the election following a Court of Appeal ruling overturning an earlier Federal High Court decision favoring Olusola Ebiseni, an LP candidate reportedly backed by Obi and the NLC.
Reacting in an interview, Olorunfemi expressed frustration over the disruption caused by the internal crisis.
“I have Peter Obi and the NLC to thank for that. They scuttled my aspirations and chances to win this Ondo election. Their insistence on imposing Ebiseni, a PDP defector, on the party ruined everything for me,” he said.
Olorunfemi accused Ebiseni of submitting a forged withdrawal letter in his name, further alleging that the NLC colluded in the act.
READ ALSO: Results: INEC Declares Aiyedatiwa Winner Of Ondo Governorship Election
The LP candidate vowed to petition the Inspector General of Police to investigate the alleged forgery.
“What they did was criminal. Writing a withdrawal letter in my name, forging my signature, and presenting it to the court without my consent cannot go unpunished,” he stated.
Responding to the accusations, Prof. Theophilus Ndubuaku, acting Chairman of the NLC Political Commission, dismissed Olorunfemi’s claims as baseless.
“He is a funny character. Before this election, he was merely a placeholder. He even tried to sell the ticket to Ebiseni for ₦20 million. When things didn’t go his way, he started pointing fingers,” Ndubuaku alleged.
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He further accused Olorunfemi of potentially collaborating with APC agents during the election.
As of the time of reporting, efforts to reach Peter Obi and Olusola Ebiseni for comments were unsuccessful.
Punch