Ayodele Olorunfemi, the Labour Party (LP) governorship candidate in Ondo State, has attributed his defeat in Saturday’s election to the actions of former Anambra State Governor Peter Obi and the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC).
Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) was declared the winner by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), securing a landslide victory with 366,781 votes across all 18 local government areas. Agboola Ajayi of the PDP trailed with 117,845 votes, while Olorunfemi’s Labour Party campaign faltered in the wake of party infighting and legal battles.
In a post-election interview, Olorunfemi accused Obi and the NLC of undermining his candidacy by supporting Olusola Ebiseni, another LP contender, during a protracted legal dispute. The Court of Appeal reinstated Olorunfemi on the ballot just days before the election, leaving little time for effective campaigning.
“I have Peter Obi and the NLC to thank for ruining my chances,” Olorunfemi lamented. “Their insistence on promoting Ebiseni—whom I call a PDP reject—created chaos in the party and derailed our campaign. Worse, they attempted to fraudulently withdraw my candidacy without my consent.”
Olorunfemi further alleged that forged documents, purportedly signed by him, were presented in court by NLC representatives to withdraw his candidacy. He vowed to file a petition with the Inspector General of Police to investigate the forgery.
Responding to the allegations, Prof. Theophilus Ndubuaku, acting Chairman of the NLC Political Commission, dismissed Olorunfemi’s claims as baseless. “Olorunfemi is a placeholder candidate who tried to sell the ticket for personal gain,” Ndubuaku alleged.
The Ondo election exposed lingering tensions within the Labour Party, compounded by ongoing disputes between its leadership and affiliated unions. As of press time, neither Peter Obi nor Olusola Ebiseni had responded to requests for comment.
