The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has reappointed Olorunfemi Festus as the Labour Party’s official candidate for the 2024 Ondo State governorship election, following a ruling by the Court of Appeal. This comes after the Federal High Court’s earlier decision, which had ordered INEC to recognize Olusola Ebiseni as the party’s candidate, was struck down by the appellate court. The saga began with the Federal High Court’s September 27, 2024 ruling, which seemed to have all the makings of a political drama. But, as we all know, nothing in Nigeria’s political arena is ever that straightforward.
INEC, in a statement shared on its official X (formerly Twitter) account, confirmed the Court of Appeal’s decision, which declared that the Federal High Court had no jurisdiction to rule on the matter.
Apparently, the lower court didn’t have the legal power to make such an order, and the Court of Appeal’s ruling has since corrected that oversight. Festus, who had been the Labour Party’s candidate all along, was immediately reinstated, much to the party’s relief.
So, after a series of legal back-and-forths, the question is: What was the Federal High Court even thinking when it ruled in favor of Ebiseni in the first place? But, in the end, the Court of Appeal has made it clear that the decision was legally questionable, and it swiftly nullified it, putting things back on track.
In response to the ruling, INEC has made the necessary updates to its records, restoring Festus as the Labour Party’s official candidate for the upcoming election.
