The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has reinstated Olorunfemi Festus as the Labour Party candidate for the 2024 Ondo State governorship election following a decisive ruling by the Court of Appeal in Abuja.
In a statement shared on Friday via its official X account, INEC confirmed compliance with the appellate court’s judgment, which overturned an earlier Federal High Court decision. The Federal High Court had, on September 27, 2024, directed INEC to recognize Olusola Ebiseni as the Labour Party candidate. This ruling was contested by the Labour Party and subsequently nullified by the Court of Appeal, which determined that the lower court lacked jurisdiction to issue such an order.
With the appellate court ruling under case reference CA/ABJ/CV/1172/2024, Festus was immediately reinstated as the Labour Party’s legitimate candidate. INEC promptly updated its records and published Festus’s details on its official website for public transparency.
The INEC statement read, “The commission was served with the Certified True Copy of the judgment of the Court of Appeal on November 14, 2024, which set aside the Federal High Court’s ruling in suit number FHC/ABJ/CS/1105/2024. In obedience to the court’s directive, the commission has restored Olorunfemi Ayodele Festus as the Labour Party’s candidate for the 2024 Ondo State governorship election.”
This development reinstates Festus as the flagbearer for the Labour Party in the upcoming election, ensuring clarity and compliance with the court’s directives.
