INEC replaces LP candidate hours to Ondo gov election

In less than 24 hours to the Ondo governorship election, the Independent National Electoral Commission announced that Olusola Ebiseni would be replaced with Olorunfemi Festus as the Labour Party candidate.

INEC stated on X on Friday that the replacement of Mr Ebiseni with Mr Festus followed a judgment of the Court of Appeal.

The appellate court ordered INEC to restore the name of Festus as the Labour Party candidate in the Saturday election.

INEC was served with the certified true copy of the judgment on Thursday, which set aside the judgment of the Federal High Court, Abuja Division.

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“The FHC, in suit number FHC/ABJ/CS/1105/2024, had on Sept. 27 ordered the commission to accept Ebiseni as the candidate of the LP for the 2024 Ondo state governorship election.

“However, in the appeal with reference number CA/ABJ/CV/1172/2024 filed by the LP, the Court of Appeal, Abuja Division, struck out the judgment of the FHC for lack of jurisdiction.

“In obedience to the court order, the commission has restored Festus, whose name was first published as the LP candidate for the 2024 Ondo Governorship election and uploaded the same to our website for public information,” INEC said.

INEC replaces LP candidate hours to Ondo gov election

(NAN)

Ondo poll: Three gov candidates withdraw for Aiyedatiwa

Three gubernatorial candidates have withdrawn from Saturday’s election in Ondo after endorsing Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa, the APC candidate.

The candidates disclosed this during a solidarity visit to Mr Aiyedatiwa by Ajibola Falaye, the candidate of the Accord Party, who spoke on behalf of the three parties on Thursday in Akure.

The other two are the governorship candidate of the National Rescue Movement, Jenyo Ataunoko and the deputy governorship candidate of the African Democratic Congress, Olaide Rasheed Ibrahim.

The governorship candidate of the ADC, Adeyemi Nejo, had earlier declared support for Mr Aiyedatiwa.

Mr Falaye said their decision to back the incumbent governor for Saturday’s election was based on observations of his longstanding commitment to public service since his time as the deputy governor.

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“We have been watching him, and his doors are always open to all. The state has been experiencing relative peace under his watch, which reflects his commitment to safeguarding the lives of our people,” said Mr Falaye.

The politician added, “We see the infrastructural development that has taken place even within this short period. It is clear that the governor is actively working for the people.

“This Saturday, we will turn our commitment into votes. We will vote for continuity in Ondo state.”

Responding, Mr Aiyedatiwa expressed gratitude for the endorsement, calling it a quality decision made out of goodwill by the candidates and their parties.

“I didn’t call for this, but I am grateful that my colleagues in the race have voluntarily identified with my mandate and are ready to mobilise their supporters to vote for the APC,” the Ondo governor stated.

Ondo poll: Three gov candidates withdraw for Aiyedatiwa

(NAN)

2027 PDP ticket: I defeated you in 2019, 2023, Atiku mocks Wike

There’s no let-off in war of words between former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar and the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, over who controls the Peoples Democratic Party ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Wike, although a minister in the government of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has continued to influence happenings in the PDP which some party hawks loyal to Atiku have tried to expel without fruition.

Both squared up in 2019 when Atiku won the ticket in Wike’s backyard. Wike was governor in the oil-rich Rivers at the time and withheld his support during the party primaries in his state, instead supported his counterpart, Aminu Tambuwal, who was also governor of Sokoto State.

The hope was that Tambuwal, as agreed, would nominate him (Wike) as his vice. Unfortunately to him, Atiku won.

In 2023, both top PDP men squared up again. It took a last minutes maneuvering for Atiku to defeat Wike after Tambuwal, rather than returning the 2019 favour, gave his delegates to Atiku.

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Not done yet, Atiku refused to give the vice presidential ticket to Wike and instead gave it to Ifeanyi Okowa, the governor of Delta State.

A sore Wike was miffed and mobilised loyal governors to support the candidate of the APC presidential candidate, Bola Tinubu, who went on to be announced the winner of the 2023 election.

Despite being over two years away, Wike has thrown the first stone telling Atiku that he should forget the 2027 presidential ticket of the PDP.

It’s worth noting that Atiku has not declared interest in the ticket and had said he would support whoever the PDP agrees to give the ticket to, including its erstwhile vice presidential candidate, now Labour Party topman, Peter Obi.

That’s in the belief that Obi will agree to a coalition to unseat the APC, alongside the New Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP).

Wike, who called a press conference to tell Atiku of what awaits him politically said, “He (Atiku) is lobbying for another chance, but the chance will not be there,” the former Minister of State for Education said.

He questioned, “In which party? How can we rely on one man for so many years?” implying that Atiku’s prospects of securing the PDP ticket are slim.

However, responding to the statement, Atiku in a statement issued by his Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, Atiku reminded Wike of his unsuccessful attempts to install his preferred candidate within the party since 2019.

Shaibu said, “If he had the power to distribute presidential tickets like party favours, he’d certainly have kept one for himself.

“Atiku schooled him and his chosen protégé in his own backyard in 2019 and then handed him a resounding defeat in the 2023 primaries in Abuja.”

Shaibu also questioned Wike’s focus on 2027, especially given his public support for Tinubu’s potential re-election, suggesting that Wike should prioritize the immediate challenges facing Nigerians.

“People are struggling with rising costs and hunger; these are the issues we should be addressing, not political maneuvers for 2027,” Shaibu noted

2027 PDP ticket: I defeated you in 2019, 2023, Atiku mocks Wike